Food & Drink

Is too much choice an issue and how do you decide what to buy?

Food & Drink

Posted by: looklively

22nd Mar 2017 11:05am

Coles and Woolies are following Aldi's lead and cutting the number of product lines they stock as a result of customers finding that too much choice is stressful. So what do you think? - How do you feel about having less choice in the supermarket? What would you do if your usual brand was no longer available? Would you prefer more or fewer brands to choose from? Does having too many brands to choose from make it harder to decide? When you are faced with a wide range of products to choose from, how you make your decision?

Comments 200

goanna
  • 25th May 2017 04:20pm

Not at all. The more choice I have, the more I will spend therefore its up to the supermarkets if they want my money or not.

shylady
  • 26th Apr 2017 02:55pm

I was recently overwhelmed by the product choices in a US supermarket compared to Australian supermarkets, it was confusing to me. However, that may have been because many of the choices were unfamiliar brands. I appreciate being able to find my favourite brands and might shop elsewhere if they are not available. In comparison, when Aldi first opened in Western Australia last year I was very disappointed by their narrow choices and decided to not shop there again.

dcusack94
  • 5th Apr 2017 05:10pm

I think having enough choice to get what you need out of what you want to buy is better than not enough.
If I was allergic to certain food products and the choices were all limited to at risk products for a basic or staple item, then that would mean having to go without.

Anonymous
  • 27th Mar 2017 12:50pm

I think having less choice can be a good thing, especially if things that are being cut are processed or packaged foods. We need more ethical and organic selections that protect the environment, and its difficult to sift through so many options to find these products.

rtgraf
  • 27th Mar 2017 09:44am

I like having choices as it gives me more choices that I can pick from. I have noticed that Coles and Woolworths have removed shelf space for brands that have been in forever so that they can stock more of their own brands. I do not agree with this as we the customers should be given the choice of what brand we want and not be forced to buy their own brands. The reason I do not do my weekly shopping at Aldi is that they do not keep enough brands that I like.
The supermarkets chains are making enough profit and they seem to want to dictate what we buy. They seem to have us under their thumbs.

Joh :)
  • 27th Mar 2017 05:56am

There is way to much choice on our Super Market Shelves these days and is so unnecessary and confusing. Products confuse shoppers further by touting health benefits with labels that sometimes don’t have a clear meaning.
Some eg's are when evaluating eggs, the choices are no longer just brown or white, and medium, large, extra large, or jumbo. We are faced with cage-free, free-range, with omega-3, pasteurized, all-natural, vegetarian, and organic.
Among Oral-B toothbrushes, we lost count at a dozen, each with its own claim (crisscross bristles that remove up to 90 percent of plaque, for starters), sensative, whitening, for gum disease prevention, different colours, flavours.
Ice cream or frozen dairy dessert comes in Natural, French, Half the Fat, No Sugar Added, Extra Creamy, Homemade, Lactose Free, and CarbSmart.
If all of that is enough to give you a headache, consider Panadol, but you’ll need to decide among tablets, film-coated tablets, caplets, capsules, gel caplets, and Liqui-Gels.
There are far too many varieties, flavors, and fragrances shouting from the shelves. When I saw the salad dressing aisle expand to triple its former size, I realized that things are getting out of hand.”
OMG my head has started to spin again. Most new items are generated because manufacturers are under pressure to increase growth. New items are the lifeblood of many categories, and without them both retailers and manufacturers would struggle.Companies see themselves at a disadvantage if they don’t keep up with the Joneses. If a competitor has eight items and you have two, there’s a better chance the sale will go to competitor. But when will this all stop or are the supermarkets just going to add extensions onto their already large stores and keep adding more and more variants.
I do get why the Supermarkets have so many variants as each customer is unique, with their own tastes and preferences and budget.They strive to meet all of their customers’ needs in one store. They need to stock the products that "ALL" customers want, plus a little. By ‘plus a little,’ i mean items that may surprise or delight us when shopping in their stores, to keep the experience fresh and fun, so they’ll want to return.”

PukPuk
  • 26th Mar 2017 06:14pm

I see supermarket shopping the same as going to a chinese restaurant where you can order from item 1 to over 100. Making a choice always seems to be prolonged even though I always go for Combination Soup, Honey Chicken, a beef and special fried rice but because we are sticky beaks we feel compelled to see everything else on the menu. Given most supermarket product lines are relatively similar between brands, making the choice is not really that hard but because there are multiple brands there, we assess each one. Multiply this by many items on the shopping list and what should take 30 minutes for a big shop becomes over an hour only because we read the same thing on multiple brands. Then to prove the stupidity level of the human brain, we do the same thing the following week for the same items. At least with a reduction in brands for like products there can be less multiple reading but then maybe some persons would take this time to re-read the same just to achieve the 1 hour plus shopping to maximise unproductivity. When it comes to a preferred product being unavailable, accept life's challenge and try something different. Never know, it may be better or at least break the monotony of routine. If that doesn't suit then when going to do the weekly shop, try turning left or right, opposite to normal and you might find the product of delight in that other supermarket. And if that is still too hard on the grey matter, bring back Henry Ford where you could have your T Model Ford in any colour of your choice - as long as it is black.

nene65
  • 26th Mar 2017 12:32pm

I would really love to see a store that is all Australian, I mean without prejudice, from their staff to the products that are on the shelves, to the companies that deliver. I feel we have more products on our shelves that are from other countries and it becomes confusing when shopping as I only ever buy Australian made and owned products, so my shopping experience sometimes becomes very anxious, boring and long. I feel we need to support everything that Australia has to offer to give our next generations something to be proud of.

marianne101
  • 26th Mar 2017 11:20am

Yes but it depends on what you are after. There seems to be a huge choice in say, yogurts, breads and cereals but less for other items, such as 'healthier' options like gluten, dairy or allergen reduced products there is less. It seems convenience items like ready made rice, pasta sauces and the like are growing dramatically which might be a reflection on us all being time poor? I do try and plan in advance to save time and occasionally I will go to a few different shops so I can get what I want on sale. It has happened to me that a brand or product is no longer available and I have asked the supermarket if they will be getting it back in or if its permanently deleted, it is good to ask as I think if they have enough demand, it can sometimes mean they will get it, my example was with a soy milk brand that was stocked at other Coles stores but not my local one.

glenny18
  • 26th Mar 2017 08:00am

Too much choice is not bad, I think the more choice the better, we know are favourite brand but sometimes will try something different. We all like different tastes so even though it is one item it can have varying tastes for the same thing, we try and buy the one we like. I do not like it when a brand I buy goes missing in Coles and Woolies, they go missing because they are taking the branded items out and replacing them with their own brand to compete with ALDI, I do not like this and will go to another store to find it then buy it from them. I always tell the service desk for feedback so they know I am going somewhere else to get a product and not shopping in their store, at current the worst at this is Coles. I would also say this is not the way to compete with ALDI. I shop at ALDI and like the choices there, over time we have tried the different items there and if we like them stick with them, compare the size and price to the other supermarkets and if its better we continue to buy it. I still shop at Coles for the things I cannot get at ALDI and then at Woolies for good specials and promotions. Having the choice in a supermarket is more of a reason to shop there because you should be able to get all the items you want, it should be up to us where we buy the items we buy and because we are now more health and price conscious we will buy the items we know and like. There is nothing worse when you think a store sells the brand you like and go there to get it and its gone, generally replaced with the home or store brand. If I have to go to another store to get it I am likely then to do more shopping there and not go back to the other one, really they are shooting them selves in the foot. If a new product is on the shelf and there are more than one to choose from I read the information, compare the prices and then depending on the brand and if I have used it before make a choice, if I wasn't that happy with it I would try one of the others next time till I get the one I or we like and stick with that. We are open to trying new brands but do not like being forced to take a replacement, specially if we think it is of a lesser quality. So yes love to have choices it makes the shopping a bit more interesting it would be terrible if there was only one brand of every item, imagine shopping in Coles where every item is Coles homebrand, no thanks, and I believe it is important to tell the service desk what is missing and that I will go somewhere else to get it and if I know who has it I pass that information on as well, they don't like hearing that I am going to ALDI or Woolies to get something they don't have.

jatz50
  • 25th Mar 2017 09:08pm

I don't want to lose certain brands that I like in Coles but I am feeling that this is going to happen whether I like it or not. I've noticed a few products disappearing and then I find I have to go to Woollies and they have plenty. I've noticed these days that the biscuit aisles are really much less these days. We used to have such a lot of brands and products to choose from but now......my favourites have disappeared also. It's almost like the supermarkets are telling you what you DO HAVE TO BUY AND EAT. I would prefer to have more brands to choose from any day.

If I am to have so many brands in front of me, it is easy to make my decision on the product because of where it is made. If it is Aussie made, you have my business. If not, it comes down to price and where the product is made. If push comes to shove.......I just go elsewhere.

Chezweb
  • 25th Mar 2017 06:29pm

You need to have variety in the stores as everyone doesn't like the same things. You don't want Coles & Woolies to become home brand store only as this would reduce jobs in our society & make shopping even harder then it already is. With busy lives who has time to go around to several shops to get their shopping.

tristia
  • 25th Mar 2017 05:33pm

I have noticed over the last few years that there is an increasing trend in this occurring already! Quite a few of my favourite brands have just disappeared. I would be disappointed to see a dramatic increase in this occurring. I like having a wide range to choose from, I usually look for a product that is good quality, value for money and Australian made. Sadly it appears to be a lot of the Australian made products that are disappearing from Coles and Woolies shelves being replaced by generic brands manufactured overseas, sometimes in countries of dubious or interesting origin!

GretaZ
  • 25th Mar 2017 03:18pm

I think it's up to each supermarket about what and how many products they stock. But in saying that, I have found that I'm less likely to do a big shop at Coles anymore because some of my favourite products have disappeared. I definitely love Aldi, and they do have more new products these days compared to when they started. I shop there all the time, and love their catalogues. Woolworths has actually gotten better in my eyes, as they have tried to update their products and have ensured they keep the ones we all buy regularly. In terms of quality and price, Aldi is great. Woolworths is good, and I want to choose the products I buy, not what they want me to buy. I think Coles is trying to force people to buy what they choose, and I don't much like that.
Maybe they should make better use of what people are buying, and less about their bottom line! A few of my friends have pretty much given up on Coles, except when they have something on special they want. I'm going much the same way.

lyndakitchin
  • 25th Mar 2017 10:52am

I like having a range of options and dislike when they reduce then as my regular brand is often removed. If this happens I do generally find an alternative but it can take some trial and error until I find another product that I am happy with.
I feel they are removing product lines and replacing them with their own lines - not just no name ones to increase their own profits rather than benefiting the consumer.
I do not feel having a large number of barnds makes the decision harder. I make the decision based on brand, where made, cost and reputation/knowledge of product.

Groove50
  • 25th Mar 2017 10:06am

Yes I think it can be a problem, but it's not just groceries it's everywhere. Less choice is ok, but it concerns me that the smaller Australian owned companies will suffer. I think we have become so spoilt for choice ie once there was only one flavour of Tim Tams now there seems to be about 20. I don't think it's really the amount of brands really just the amount of flavours or types of things from the brands.

khal123
  • 25th Mar 2017 02:56am

New and different is the key element in making any product choices. Too many is beneficial. Quality is no.1 then price comes. That why it will make it easier to manage your choices. But cutting the no. Of products will reduce and jopudiz the meaning of competition. That lead to less products quality and higher prices which will affect the cost of living.

Robyn
  • 25th Mar 2017 12:14am

I lived in the United States of America for over 30 years and really enjoyed grocery shopping. The supermarkets are HUGE and the choice is remarkable. Most chains carry all the national brands some of which distribute in Australia, e.g. Campbell's, Heinz, El Paso, Kleenex, plus their own label, plus labels produced only in that particular state plus local stuff and they all have an international section. On the rare occasion you can't find a particular ingredient for a recipe, you would visit the Chinese supermarket, or the Japanese, Korean etc. Not only is there an extensive choice of brand, each brand may include 20 or 30 different flavours e.g. Betty Crocker or Duncan Hind cake mixes. Oh, and all the major chains sell product from Australia. The only ingredient I could never find in the USA was golden syrup.
I am becoming more frustrated grocery shopping in Australia as the brands are disappearing from Coles and Woolworths. Coles ceased stocking Cadbury's 2L Vanilla ice cream about a year ago but until recently I could still purchase this product at Woolworths and Supra IGA. Last month Woolworths advised me they were no longer stocking the product and the Supra IGA closed down. I am not happy.
Too many brands does not make it harder to decide - you get to know from trial and error what brand you prefer - fewer brands does stiffle the economy and put the consumer at the mercy, pricewise, of supermarket chain. I base my decision concerning what brand to purchase on price, taste and size.
I am having difficulty believing that supermarket customers have complained that too much choice is stressful - life is full of choices, each day is full of choices, how are these people going to survive and why should my choices be limited to please others. Is this a product of socialism? We used to be such a progressive country, this is a giant step backwards.

goanna
  • 24th Mar 2017 10:21pm

That's absolutely crazy and so are the people saying there's far too many things to choose from. Do they want to go back to the olden days where there weren't much to choose on the shelves, I doubt it! I love choice and plenty of stock on the supermarkets shelves which I can buy and love cooking instead of the same old boring stuff weekly. Not impressed! :(

mandal
  • 24th Mar 2017 09:20pm

For basic items, like flour, sugar, salt, I don't think you need that much choice, as there isn't that much variation possible. However, choice is still necessary to encourage competition in pricing. But for other items, while having a lot of choice can slow down your shopping as you consider all the variations, it means you are more likely to be able to find something that fits your needs almost perfectly. You might want a particular pack size, format, combination of ingredients, country of origin etc, and without a range of choices, you have to compromise more. There are a few things I would do if my usual brand was no longer available - I'd find out where it still was available and consider going there instead, I'd look at the alternatives and see if any were acceptable, or I might decide that that item wasn't a must-have and just do without entirely. I would prefer to have more brands to choose from, as long as they were different to each other or had something different to distinguish them from the others. There's not point having a lot of brands if they are essentially offering the same product. When there are a lot to products to choose from, I consider nutrition content (eg. how much sugar/salt is in it), flavour, quality, and price.

Anonymous
  • 24th Mar 2017 08:20pm

It is a bit disappointing to see a manufacturer produce/promote a line that is the identified by the store as a good seller and they repackage it in a similar packaging and replace the original.

frannymanny
  • 24th Mar 2017 08:04pm

I really dislike shopping, particularly in supermarkets, to the extent that I have sometimes found myself in a queue with a couple of heavily loaded trolleys in front of me and I have just abandoned my trolley and walked out.
I have partially solved the problem by writing myself a list of immediate "must buys" and making a quick top up visit about three times per week. I am very price driven and I make a bee line for the cheap Aldi products that I like. Those products are always the same price. There is only one choice for me and that is the cheapest. I do not have to compare prices in aldi because the products I like are always in stock. They also open extra checkout lines when there are three or so trolleys in line. I really do not want a lot of choice, I want to get in and out knowinc exactly how much I am going to spend and what I am going to spend it on. I love Aldi!

klm
  • 24th Mar 2017 07:43pm

i believe people should have around four brands to choose from in some products, as the mayor stores coles woollies seem to have their brand taking ver the shelves and cutting the the items we grew up with.
they say it from sales as the price may be higher, but this is called choose, people may want to pay more for a product they use and like .
also a few brands a good if you wish to try new things, let the pople choose not the managers in the offices that most of the time dont shop.

Sue1
  • 24th Mar 2017 07:32pm

I look forward to less choice in the supermarkets and any where else to be honest.
I am not too fussed about brands as long as the product is good for what I want to use
it for. I still tend to go for the brands/product that I have used before, do not really even
look at the new brands stocked. I just glance and say to myself, it is just too much, why
can't we just be happy with less.

sussie21
  • 24th Mar 2017 07:29pm

it is not good to lose our choice of what we want to buy I have found that we are losing out populare products that have been around for a long time suddenly going where is our choice bad discusion bring back our choises

lisadv
  • 24th Mar 2017 07:10pm

I find that there are times I go into a supermarket to by something and when greeted by the wall of choices end up walking out with nothing because it all becomes too confusing. The number of times I have cringed as I pass the toothbrush section of the aisle - how can it be so confusing?
Having said that I have noticed many of the products I regularly buy disappearing from the shelves which often makes me choose to shop elsewhere. I think choice is important but you need a simple variety so all tastes are covered; however supermarkets seem to be making odd decisions about what products they keep, such that you end up with a wall of the same thing (regardless of brand). It feels very much like they are trying to control our spending which makes me very uncomfortable. I have started buying more basic ingredients and making my own meals - so I can get what I want including experimenting with ideas that inspire me.

hispania
  • 24th Mar 2017 06:31pm

I hope that supermarkets do not cut their range too much. I have already noticed some brands have disappeared from some supermarkets and I go elsewhere where they are still stocking these products. I don't want my choice to be restricted too much. If supermarkets remove brands from their shelves I hope these companies fight back by offering a strong online presence. I don't find the range too intimidating or that it is hard to make a choice. Where there is a wide range I look for Australian made, Australian raw materials and most importantly locally grown/made/produced if possible. I look for smaller sizes in certain products eg jams - I don't want big jars that will go ojt of date before I finish them.

mysteron347
  • 24th Mar 2017 03:54pm

I'm not sure that Aldi has provided a "lead" in reducing variety. The two majors appear to have had a policy of stocking the two major national brands plus their own generic for decades. Sure - they'll take on a competitive brand sometimes - for as long as the manufacturer is footing the advertising bill, they'll demand their "fair share" of the market created.

I've always found IGA locally give shelf-space to smaller locally-owned and locally-manufactured brands. No chance with the majors - if only because they're controlled from the East and want to deal with as few suppliers as possible.

Aldi? Their stores are small and really don't have the space for many brands. I can't resist their prices, but I'm not impressed with their imitation products - change the name but make the packaging as close as possible to the well-known original.

I'm forced to buy cheap in any case. I don't see much difference between the generic and name-brands, but origin is of supreme importance - especially for food items.

MRfuzzy
  • 24th Mar 2017 03:09pm

too much choice is not an issue but I resent Australia not selling any of their crops like they used to,like only one brand of beetroot now sold from Australia

mysteron347
  • 24th Mar 2017 01:47pm

I'm not sure that Aldi has provided a "lead" in reducing variety. The two majors appear to have had a policy of stocking the two major national brands plus their own generic for decades. Sure - they'll take on a competitive brand sometimes - for as long as the manufacturer is footing the advertising bill, they'll demand their "fair share" of the market created.

I've always found IGA locally give shelf-space to smaller locally-owned and locally-manufactured brands. No chance with the majors - if only because they're controlled from the East and want to deal with as few suppliers as possible.

Aldi? Their stores are small and really don't have the space for many brands. I can't resist their prices, but I'm not impressed with their imitation products - change the name but make the packaging as close as possible to the well-known original.

I'm forced to buy cheap in any case. I don't see much difference between the generic and name-brands, but origin is of supreme importance - especially for food items.

jonmic
  • 24th Mar 2017 11:23am

I watched a show where 'choice' was tested and the results were interesting. 15 jars of different flavoured 'product' was offered to customers.... Then 6 jars were offered to the next lot of customers - result, more products were sold with less choice. The more choice we are offered the harder to decide!
As far as favourite products going missing in supermarkets, i would shop elsewhere for original product. I think supermarkets offer the right amount of products...dont have trouble deciding what to buy.

Motherparrot
  • 24th Mar 2017 09:52am

My understanding is that "home brand" labelled goods are made by well known manufacturers so these are doubled up on the shelves so are these the lines that they are cutting? The manufacturers aren't therefore missing out. Most of us have our regular brands that we buy and I'm sure Coles and Woolies are very aware of this through their sales reports so would be cutting the brands that are not big sellers. For everyday staple items, there is a "home brand" available so I don't see the need for lots of variety in this area. Generally, most of us don't spend too much time perusing the shelves, we want to get in and out of the supermarket as quickly as possible. If I wanted a special item and it was not available in the supermarket I would go to a premium grocery store to look for it or look on line. I would be happy with fewer brands but would appreciate better sizing of products which would then suit all consumers.

bj
  • 24th Mar 2017 08:45am

On some lines like sauce and salad dressing there is far too much choice. I shop for specials on the brands I like, prefer Australian made wherever possible.
I think meat prices are really over the top. I choose the cheaper cuts and have lots of casseroles. I grow a few vegies + herbs and salad items. Fresh is best.

Adrienne30317592
  • 24th Mar 2017 08:24am

i love choice and think if i have less choice may stop buying certain products altogether - it concerns me that we may only have a choice of the supermarkets own brand soon, so they dominate the market place

Cheran
  • 24th Mar 2017 08:22am

I think it's just an excuse for them to flog their own brands. I like my normal brands and WILL NOT buy a home brand. I would prefer more Australian-made brands on the shelves of supermarkets not less. I wonder if the supermarkets ever considered that by reducing our choice down to home brands, they are making it easier for us to turn away? If they stopped to consider maybe they'd find it's more cost-effective to have known brands on the shelves rather than pay out all that money on 'home brands'? Not happy with this situation at all. When it gets down to it, the supermarkets and their 'strategies' are the cause of Australian companies going under. Buy Australian brands so we can keep our industries going. When supermarkets introduce more 'home brand' products, like Bells Farms at Woollies, do you realise you are actually supporting DANISH industries? These products are NOT Australian made or owned.

Goofus
  • 24th Mar 2017 07:57am

Give me choices every time. It is annoying if I find something I like and the store no longer stocks it. Sometimes a search on the internet will show me where to get it.

Brian
  • 24th Mar 2017 07:14am

It is never finding too much choice being stressful. The more to choose from the better - price is always a consideration. As per the ALDI example in place in stores now, Coles and Woolies will only be offering Own Brand products soon with the removal of all other brands. It will not be a case of less products to make it easier to choose. All our usual brands will disappear off the shelves.

Deb
  • 24th Mar 2017 03:58am

I've already started to see some of my favourite products disappear or dwindle. Examples - Robert Timms Coffee Bags have been moved to a lower shelf with less stock, less variety. Decaf ground coffee has all but disappeared and what is still available is way too expensive. Small coffee filter bags have disappeared off the shelves at Coles which means I have to go elsewhere to buy them. I live in the country and have Woolies, IGA and Coles close by. I shop at Coles by choice, at Woolies for convenience and IGA for items you just can't get at the other 2. I suppose that much choice is good for juggling my budget but it makes the weekly shopping fragmented. Surely having a larger choice is the reason for people using either Coles or Woolies, it's definitely no the prices!! I'd much prefer to have a large variety of brands/products available, there's scope to try out new things or even experience new cultures. They'd be cutting their own throats if they reduced the variety of stock they carry

Aliyaraya
  • 24th Mar 2017 01:54am

I think having less choice in the supermarkets is bad as all the brands I like are slowly disappearing. They are being replaced by Coles and Woolies brands and some of them are up to par. I don't mind the products that are but some should just never be put on the shelf. Aldi has some good products and I split my shopping between the three Coles, Woolies and Aldi. I have to agree Aldi does not have much of a choice range, it can be good because you are not spending all your time trying to decide which product to purchase. On the other hand I like variety and trying new products. I generally look at the ingredients and make my decision that way. If I like what is inside then I will purchase that product. I try to make my dollar go as far as possible with 4 hungry guys to feed.

l0lapx
  • 24th Mar 2017 12:47am

I will ask a question in answer to yours..... Why do we need 100 different types of everything in the supermarket????? Waste of time.... takes too long... I left Safeway & Coles when Aldi hit my town, and no matter how much the big supermarket trim down, they have lost my money for life... When you 'abuse' you customers.... they are gone..... So I HATE overstocked supermarkets.... they are a rip off.

Meagan30479385
  • 24th Mar 2017 12:39am

So what do you think? - How do you feel about having less choice in the supermarket? I've actually found that quite a few of my favourite products have been taken off the shelf. So I'm finding that less choice actually negatively impacts me. I don't necessarily believe that less is more. I go to the supermarket to find a number of different brands and to make an appropriate choice. What I think is that Coles and Woolies are both intimidated by Aldi and the lower prices so they are trying to do anything to retain customers. Personally, I like having more choice, it means brands don't have a monopoly in the market. Having less choice means I've had a number of the brands I like taken off the shelf. And that means I'll shop for them elsewhere like Drake's or IGAor Foodland, where they do stock them. So I think it's doing Coles/Woolies more harm than good.

What would you do if your usual brand was no longer available? I check for it at another store. Coles have taken away Watermelon cottee's cordial, a pasta sauce brand and a few other items, so I had a look at Foodland and they stock them still. So I just look elsewhere, if the bigger supermarkets don't want to stock them because of some silly idea that people will run out of their stores clutching their heads becasue the idea of choice might make their brains explode.

Would you prefer more or fewer brands to choose from? More. Less choice means that brands can put their prices up or Coles/Woolies can because it means that they can't get it elsewhere. I find having a variety of choices great, as I can choose one which tastes better, is a better price or provides nutritional value.

Does having too many brands to choose from make it harder to decide? No, and I'd really love to see the research Coles/Woolies are basing this idea from. Taking brands away means that they are restricting choices. I'm not sure it's not a ploy to raise prices and they are just blaming it on some survey that people don't like choice. Choices confront us everyday, and they are a low more difficult than picking from 4 different brands at the supermarket. It's making me feel like the supermarkets are dumbing it don for me, like it's too complicated for me to count beyond one hand so they are simplifying it for me.

When you are faced with a wide range of products to choose from, how you make your decision? Price, experience, nutritional value and what I know about the company (e.g if they are sustainabally sourced, support Aussie farmers/workers etc). Price is a major influence, like most people I stick to a strict budget. But I also like to buy Aussie products and will keep that in mind. I don't buy based on the latest advert, just make a choice about whether it'll be a nice flavour etc. More choices is better for me as a consumer as it means I can change frequently to get a different flavour or change product if there's a price rise. I don't appreciate Coles/Woolies making this choice for me to take products away, it's too over-simplified and I'm not convinced it'll make any difference to how people shop (except make me buy more products from their competitors).

kelly13
  • 24th Mar 2017 12:24am

yes. I just found a little bit harder to get things to buy when I get in Coles and Woolies. Do I just need to stay on what I want or I still can try the new things? If my usual brand was no longer available, this mean I must change to other brand, like pasta sauce and Tuna tin..is affected! I always choose from more brands as better then few brands, which is no choice to choose. Although sometime will be harder to decide but I still have choice to choose. If I have wide range of products to choose, I always following quality and price.

Littlelegs
  • 24th Mar 2017 12:19am

There are various items at the supermarket which I always buy the same brand no matter how many choices there are. These are things like baked beans, some cereals, biscuits, to name just a few. If my usual brand of these was not available, I would not purchase any other brand. In some categories in the supermarket, such as toilet paper and washing detergent, there are far too many choices and this often makes my decision quite difficult as you have to weigh up, not only the price, size of the product, quality that you perceive the product to be, etc. If my usual brand in the latter two categories are not available or at a price I consider too extreme, I may experiment with another product that is on special and may have always wanted to try except for the price factor (which was recently the case with Kleenex Aloe Vera Toilet Tissue). I remembered doing a survey probably well over a year ago, about these different varieties becoming available, and when I saw this Aloe Vera variety being offered at around about half price, I thought this would be the ideal time to trial it.

chocogirl
  • 24th Mar 2017 12:02am

I like to have choice in the supermarket. I hope Coles and Woolies don't get rid of trusted brands and Australian made products. I look at where the product is made, ingredients and the price and decide what to buy. I have some favourite products and some that I choose between based on whether they are on special or not.Aldi has some good products but they do not have everything.

cathyghw
  • 24th Mar 2017 12:01am

I have no problem at all with there being fewer BRANDS on the shelves. What I dread is there being fewer Varieties. I tend to be a foodie, and I am a passionate cook so I love having a wide selection of ingredients to choose from and experiment with. That being said, it is not usually a problem for me as I live in the remote N.T. and our only supermarket (not Coles or Woolies) is fairly small and does not stock a very wide range of products. On the rare occasions I do get to Alice Springs (once a year if I am lucky) I tend to spend hours slowly walking around both shops looking at new/different products I am unable to get at home

Pete
  • 23rd Mar 2017 11:41pm

There's a plethora of choice in our supermarkets these days. Is it too much? Good question. I think it largely depends on the type of shopper you are. It's far too much choice for my needs, 'cos my shopping decisions are largely made on price & my usual buying patterns. Generally speaking we buy the same products regularly & look for the cheapest item in each product line which is still quality enough to be usable. For example, today I shopped for, among other things, baked beans. The Woolies home brand was the cheapest, but we've bought it before & it's awful, so I bought something slightly dearer which at least is edible. The range, though, is incrdible. Apart from God knows how many brands, there's baked beans in tomato sauce, BBQ sauce, several other sauces, maybe next week they'll have a baked beans with creamy custard or something. To me, all this choice does is slow down the process, & you've got to wonder if supplying so much choice actually causes the supermarkets to sell at higher prices than they otrherwise would to cover the cost of carrying all these brands & varieties. It's not only baked beans, have a look around the stores! For example, you need a program & a map to navigate the cereal aisle!

saints
  • 23rd Mar 2017 11:29pm

I would not like less choice. I do not find it hard to choose. If they took away one of my favourite brands I would not like it but there is not much you could do. Find another brand. If I like more than one brand of the same product I woulod pick the cheapest.

pjohnw
  • 23rd Mar 2017 11:23pm

I'm what is called an Aldi convert, Aldi is now my number 1 supermarket , near all my shopping these days is from them , at first it was a little strange shopping there with so little choice in products , but the great prices and quality kept me returning week after week. Now knowing that Aldi offer mostly their own brands does not faze me one bit , I'm yet to buy a product from them that i have not liked , their brand names might be unfamiliar but once you try them any doubt goes away.
With their refurbished stores focus on fresh produce i find less and less reason to visit Woolworths or Coles ,and i can understand people being stressed when confronted with the choice of say 10 to 12 different options on some products , as i know with Aldi if i want to buy say pasta sauce , they have their brand only , no problems to me , i like it .
Coles and to a lesser extent Woolworths are trying to compete with Aldi by reducing the number of choices and concentrating on the better sellers or more profitable brands , and i can see the reasoning in this as more and more people switch to Aldi.
Perhaps being on a budget clouds my thinking on this topic , but as more and more shoppers are looking to save and buy quality the future looks clear to me.
Looking to the future we hear of the pending arrival of Lidl and Amazon , with Lidl's aggressive approach to grocery retailing i can see Coles and woolworths struggling to maintain the top 2 positions in Australian grocery shopping.
As to when Lidl will begin their Australian campaign i don't know but it will be interesting to say the least.

bearman
  • 23rd Mar 2017 10:54pm

Big companies do surveys,(yup they ask people like you and me), what we do and don't like before they get rid of or add a product to their stock. So don't sweat too much over losing a well loved product disappearing from the shelf. Maybe a few of the more obscure brands that don't sell very well and just take up shelf space until they end up on the specials section to get rid of the last of it before being put in the trash.
You would be amazed at how much stock gets thrown out each week because it costs too much to return it to the supplier.
I think shrinking economics will eventually see shops selling fewer brands and this will make it harder for anyone with a "SECRET" recipe to break into this market and to se their product on a shelf for sale. I will try new brands if they are price competitive but otherwise I will stick to the tried and true so i don't waste my money

Pammy67
  • 23rd Mar 2017 10:34pm

The consumers will buy what they see, what is on special, and what looks good. There is so much choice at the moment, I haven't noticed anything missing from Coles and Woolworths. I have not shopped at Aldi or Costco. I buy most of the normal big brands, so I can't see them being taken out of the supermarkets. If they do go, and it was a favourite, I would go direct to the company to see where their products are being sold. I usually make my purchases based on what is a good buy/on special, that the household likes. We are currently spoilt for choice, but you never know what they will do in the future.

Beci
  • 23rd Mar 2017 10:19pm

Some people complain over nothing. I like having choice. It provides options based on preferences, price and ethical considerations. If my usual brand was no longer available it could mean that I no longer buy a particular product at all if the available brands were either too expensive or engaged in practices that I don't agree with. Having lots of brands does not make it too hard. It just gives me more options.

Patty
  • 23rd Mar 2017 10:19pm

Firstly, if the choices are there, we have a choice and if they are removed that leaves us with whatever we have the option of choosing between. Life is easier if there are a few better and quality brands than a few just ok brands which we keep ignoring. Why do they ever stock these, you say to yourself. Than it comes down to the retailer to decide; this product is not doing well, I think we should remove from the shelves. We are just making it gather dust on the shelves. So as consumers, do we like variety? In essence; we do, but quality, taste and price are the deciding factor ultimately when it is time to fill our trolleys.

aussiejohn
  • 23rd Mar 2017 09:59pm

My word, there is so much rubbish, and half-truths written here. Talk about ignorance. I am appalled by some of the complete and utter garbage I am reading.

I will agree that Coles and Woolworths have delisted some products, and that is annoying. My favourite Vita Wheat Cracked Pepper biscuits disappeared a few years ago, and have never reappeared, though Arnotts told me they still make them. I am not going to traipse all over town looking for them. I go without now. Arnotts' loss, not mine.

As for Coles and Woolworths own label products, well some are ok, many are not. But interestingly, quite a few Coles and Woolworths products I used to buy have vanished. I find there are now LESS own brand stuff there than there used to be. But because the myth keeps getting perpetuated on sites like this, and in groups where older, less informed people congregate, people believe this rubbish. I don't doubt that Coles and Woolworths want to increase sales of house brands to help their bottom line. It has been clearly articulated for a long time in their future strategies. They are only following trends that exist all over the world. This is nothing new.

Coles and Woolworths - and any other store for that matter - have sophisticated point of sale systems now. They know exactly how many 500 gram tubs of Meadowlea Margarine in all variants, how many 200 gram packets of Tim Tams in all variants, etc etc, they sell in every store, in every state, all over Australia. They have finite space in their shops. They cannot afford to have products on the shelf THAT DO NOT SELL. No shop anywhere can do that. All you are demonstrating here is your complete ignorance of how retail works. In addition, there are probably hundreds of new products hitting the market each week. Some will be successful, others not. Stores have to make space for new products, therefore old stuff that does not sell gets deleted. Simple.

If you don't want your favourite products to disappear, make sure you buy lots of it, tell all your friends, and make sure everyone else in Australia buys it as well. Otherwise - well you know what will happen. But the problem with common sense is that it is not common.

Aldi, well this could be the subject of a whole new discussion. I am not a major fan, but due to economic reasons (I'm on a pension), I do some of my shopping there. Flour is flour, sugar is sugar, salt is salt. What beggars belief is this ongoing garbage about everything being imported. When was the last time you ACTUALLY went into Aldi and checked the products. Judging by the comments here, most of you have never been there, you just rely on the same old garbage people tell you over and over again, because they are just as ignorant as you. I am not defending Aldi, I have no connection with Aldi, quite frankly, I don't even like Aldi much. But in the interests of a good old Aussie "fair go", I will not sit idly by and watch you slander them with your ignorance.

Aldi have made great strides in building up their Australian Made product range. Most of what I buy there is quite clearly marked Australian Made. I buy those products FOR THAT REASON. They do have imported products, and I rarely buy those things, mostly because they are things I don't normally buy anyway.

I feel for people with dietary considerations, but the supermarkets can only do so much, and they can only stock what manufacturers make in any case. There is enough evidence around now to show that many so-called dietary products are worse for you healthwise than the normal product. The standard advice always given by doctors, nutritionists, health experts, etc, for these situations is to stick to fresh food, avoid processed food, and to MAKE YOUR OWN food, where you can control things like fat, sugar, salt, gluten, and all the other known and imaginary food allergies.

There are a number of other points I could reply too, but this is too long now as it is. Take this as a wake up call to take control and sort out your own lives and what you want. Then work out a CONSTRUCTIVE way to have a dialogue with the Australian retail, and manufacturing industries to get the right food, at the right price.

mysteron347
  • 24th Mar 2017 04:30pm
My word, there is so much rubbish, and half-truths written here. Talk about ignorance. I am appalled by some of the complete and utter garbage I am reading.

I will agree that Coles and...

Well - close to the truth.

One of my first jobs with a well-known hardware-retailer was precisely the opposite. When they'd sold all of their stock of a particular product, other stock was pushed into the empty space and eventually the out-of-stock item's label was removed. This meant that the store didn't re-order the item, so the holy computer immediately reported zero sales which justified the dropping of the line at that store.

Then there was the clothing store that invoked "demographics" as the reason that they had stock of small collar-sized shirts in all colours of the rainbow, but none of larger sizes (maybe one or two in white or blue). Well - actually, the small collar-sizes are worn by younger people who shop in the city and the larger by older people who shop in the suburbs. Can't get the bean-counters to understand that, though.

When I widened the great shirt-hunt, I encountered one store which had two small displays of mens' business shirts, but no fewer than SEVEN full-height, full-length racks of socks. Naturally, men - especilly older men - are no longer expected to be going to work and have to dress appropriately.

There was the incident where a manufacturer of soups suddenly dropped their tomato line. I asked them why, as a small shareholder in their company and received the usual run-around and waffle.

Some months later, the company was taken over by another. Now normally, if you trade shares the monetary side must be settled within 3 days (5 in those days.) However we small shareholders were left holding shares we couldn't sell and no cash for a number of weeks until the very last moment allowed by the takeover laws. There's an extra provision - if a shareholder asks for a list of shareholders within 10 days of the takeover announcement then the deadline gets delayed by the ten days. Need I say that indeed a shareholder asked for such a list, delaying the payout. Who? Not allowed to know. Why? That's their business, not yours.

So - you can't get proof, but you'd be forgiven for suspecting collusion to minimise the cost-of-acquisition.

Then there's the common practice where companies issue offers to buy more shares. Sure - everyone has two weeks to get their cheque to Melbourne (no other payment type allowed) which is really fair on small shareholders in remote WA who go into town to pick up their mail once a week or more rarely. Add in the requirement to have such an offer coincide with Easter and Anzac day, and the inconvenient small shareholders who wish to participate have no time to marshal the required funds and post the required cheque so miss out. All fine and good for the mates in the next concrete tower in Melbourne though - and those are the people we really want to buy shares.

And then there's the pollies. Oh - if they have an election, we are kept waiting for results while possible postal votes which are posted before the deadline wend their ways to the Electoral Commission. Important things at stake here -- a polly's sinecure on the line.

Doesn't work that way with the tax department though. It's your responsibility that the mail ARRIVES at the office that they select by their deadline. Any communication arriving late - pay a fine. Most important things at stake here - money to pay pollies.

tinacz
  • 23rd Mar 2017 09:57pm

I shop at Aldi as I like specific food items and the prices of everyday products are good. I also visit other supermarkets as I enjoy the range of products available. If these items were not available I would shop more at independent delicatessens and specialty stores. Supermarkets need to strike a balance between choice and competitively priced everyday items or staples. Display and signage can assist customers making a choice and to limit confusion. Initially my choice is guided by product experience and recognition, price or promotions. Once I pick up the item I look at the ingredients and country of origin. I prefer products without too many colours and preservatives. I prefer products from Australia, Europe and New Zealand. The choice does not confuse me as I simply do not look all the items in one visit.

giznjack
  • 23rd Mar 2017 09:49pm

Being on a very tight budget, I shop from the catalogue specials, and the home brand products every week. My worry would be if the cheaper products were to disappear, the branded products may not have reduced specials as often, due to the lack of competitors on the shelf. If some of the more expensive products were no longer stocked, that hopefully would drive down the prices on the cheaper products, win...win...

Dex
  • 23rd Mar 2017 09:45pm

It's pretty much a matter of personal choice, regardless of what the supermarkets do in regards to the range of stock, we will always choose what we actually want, sometimes what we desire is there is a large enough range.The supermarkets are reducing stock in a marketing ploy to "force" us to choose the items they want that are usually slightly higher in price and have a larger profit margin, Woolworth's especially, I currently no longer shop at Woolworth's due to price fixing and their not so subtle tactic of reducing stock ranges to increase profitability.I am luckier than most, I understand their marketing tactics. There are not "real" specials, just items they wish to either remove from stock or over-supply.

June
  • 23rd Mar 2017 09:43pm

In some types of product I do think there is far too much choice, but I would feel very upset if I couldn't get the things I really like. Having a lot of choice sometimes helps me with the fact that so many products today such as canned soups for instance, contain garlic, which I cannot eat. At least with choice I am able to pick one of the very few which do not contain garlic.
Also where would one suggest there is too much choice, Clothing for instance, surely women in particular would not like to be limited with the colours and styles available. So which products would we draw the line with less choice?

BernieBear1983
  • 23rd Mar 2017 09:38pm

I love having heaps of choice as it makes the brands competitive. I wouldn't like to have less choice in the supermarket. I would be pretty upset if my favourite brands left the supermarket. I would definitely prefer more brands, the more the better. Having too many brands doesn't make it harder to decide as I normally go with the cheaper options and the healthier. When I am faced with heaps of brands I would go for the one that had the best price and the healthiest.

Eugine
  • 23rd Mar 2017 09:14pm

Nothing makes me more cross than to find my favourite brands gone from the supermarket shelves. I want to have more choices rather than less and feel that the supermarkets are the ones contributing to the loss of products manufactured in Australia. it is easy to make a decision for me. I look at where the product is made and where the ingredients are sourced before I even consider the price. Seldom shop in Aldi because they do not stock a range of items that I purchase. Where are these customers who cannot make a choice if faced with a number of products? There are certainly none among my family and friends. my family and friends.

ghost
  • 23rd Mar 2017 09:08pm

if not in stock,change brands.

ree
  • 23rd Mar 2017 08:58pm

I don't feel stressed with lots of choices i'm getting stressed now with all the cuts they are making as i am finding that i have to go to other stores for some of the pruducts i use these days and with some i have to ring the 1800 number to find where i can get what i like and have used for many years .

Rialla-T
  • 23rd Mar 2017 08:58pm

I choose to avoid Aldi. Coles and Woolworths for this very reason already. My preferred supermarket is Foodland because they actually stock a good variety of products. My family has a variety of food allergy/health issues, so I need to compare a good range of products to find what suits us best. One size does not fit all in grocery shopping, neither does one price range. At least I have more options at Foodland. Choice is a wonderful thing & I'm willing to pay more for it!

sharleen
  • 23rd Mar 2017 08:51pm

i think there is too much choice,but i hate it when they stop stocking my favourite brand,you just get used to buying it and next shop its gone to make way for imported stuff no one really wants.

shazza55
  • 23rd Mar 2017 08:42pm

I think too much choice is great, we as consumers like to be able to compare and choose the best price. Price is a great influence these days. I hate it when a product I have been buying for years and find it is no longer available.

betty
  • 23rd Mar 2017 08:41pm

I don't shop very often at Ald'is but Woolies my main shop Coles sometimes, the problem is they get rid of products , that I been using for years and then there is no more , drives me crazy.I do want choices like everybody else not just home brands which some are good but you can fell the difference, well that's life.

BASH
  • 23rd Mar 2017 08:36pm

I WOULD BE VERY ANMNOYED IF A FAVOURITE BRAND BECAME UNAVAILABLE.ALSO THIS STRATEGY COULD PUT A LOT OF SUPPLIERS OUT OF BUSINESS

Bazz
  • 23rd Mar 2017 08:24pm

Too much choice? Are you kidding me??? Ever been to the USA? The smallest of their supermarkets is bigger than our city supermarkets with Tonnes of Choices that will send all those 'Choice Whingers' into some kind of nervous breakdown, I'm sure. If you are on a diet, have food allergies, will only buy certified organic, certified Halal or any other of a growing number of narrow categories, then you will appreciate having Any choice. You silly people don't need to go out & try every single item in the supermarket & if You don't like it, lobby the supermarket to cut their range. How stupid! I vote we have far more brand names from all over the place & if anything, get rid of supermarket private labels. Most of us can remember a time when we were told, "this is all we have, so you can eat what everyone else does or jolly well leave"! We should support being surrounded with an abundance of goods, which has traditionally been viewed as prosperity & smash the genocidal policy of Austerity before it crushes us all to death.

Peter
  • 23rd Mar 2017 08:23pm

I like less brands to choose from but make the quality brands at competitive prices. If my brand was not available I would purchase a near product based on perceived quality of product and price. I like fewer brands but competitively priced and of comparable quality. Too many brands does make it harder to decide if they are similarly priced and of similar quality. If products are of comparable quality I choose purely on lowest price!

Nellyy
  • 23rd Mar 2017 08:19pm

I love taking my time to compare products and make my choice. I enjoy comparing the carbon footprint, nutritional value and price of different products. Less choice would not be a good thing for me.

Marg1952
  • 23rd Mar 2017 08:19pm

I like to have a choice of brands and will always choose the product which is made in Australia even if it is more expensive as the quality is better. I tend to stick with the same brands but will try different ones if they are on special. If my usual brand is discontinued by one supermarket, I will go to another one where it is available.

Marie-Clare
  • 23rd Mar 2017 08:16pm

Less choice is better as we have far too much choice these days-the tyranny of choice-too much time wasted. I am sure you can find a brand-even a home brand which will be just as good if you brand was removed. Too many brands is not real good-a few is better but make them quality brands. When faced with a wide range of products will chose on price and known quality from past experience with the product.

Zanyt
  • 23rd Mar 2017 08:15pm

I do not like that Coles and Woolies are cutting the number of product lines. Because some of the usual product I buy are no longer at Coles or Woollies I am shopping alot more at IGA, Foodworks etc as they have the brands I buy. I like the idea of having lots of different brands as I have members of my family who cannot eat certain products because of what they have in them so eg yoghurt I have to buy at least 4 different types/brands.

chickybabe49
  • 23rd Mar 2017 08:13pm

I think its really good to have a few choices but sometimes you can have to many then it becomes really hard in what to pick,i love having lots of choices to pick from because you can always try one and if you dont like that then you have a variety to pick from, its great to be an Australian

Robie
  • 23rd Mar 2017 07:51pm

I am regular shopper at both Coles and Woolies and have found lately at both stores that the choice on a small
group of items are less. It is nice when you go into a supermarket to look at a shelf on a particular item has a
good spread of brands to choose from. Nothing worse than going to a shelf and finding than a brand you usually buy
is not stocked. Supermarkets take note, we the customer are the ones that keep you in business and help you make
those huge profits. Be careful because other supermarket players are coming onto the scene and shoppers will desert you
in droves.

Maria30535239
  • 23rd Mar 2017 07:41pm

There are two reasons why I shop at Aldi: 1. Low prices on the basic groceries, and 2: Aldi's Special buys. However, Aldi does not have a great deal of choice when it comes to Lactose free products compared to Coles and Woolworths, so I have to shop at all three shops for my weekly shop.

lynneeime
  • 23rd Mar 2017 07:40pm

I can't believe that Coles and Woolworths are taking product lines off the shelves because there is too much choice. What a load of rot. I and some of my friends have noticed that some of our favourite lines are not being restocked and we wondered why. Now I know why. Why do they need to stop stocking these lines because they were popular. I don't like this new way of shopping. I prefer to have a choice of all products than just a few. I have noticed there are more of the Coles and Woolworths brands on the shelves now than there was before. Are they telling us to buy their products because we are getting rid of the named brands. I like a few of the Coles and Wo olworths products but not all of them. I still prefer my brand named products. It does not make it harder to choose having more brands because you haveyour favourites and not everyone likes the same ones, that is why we need a wide range of products. When faced with a wide range of products, I like to a choice and I like to try different brands, that way I get to taste a wide variety of products and then make up my mind on which one I like. When one product I like is taken off the shelf then I have to choose another brand and that is not always the Coles or Woolworths brand.

BCafeS15
  • 23rd Mar 2017 07:28pm

I would like to see manufacturers strike a balance and roll out one version of their brand that is suitable for almost everyone instead of no salt, no fat and no sugar content. Maybe products should be put to a standards test for health and well being factors. Store shelves are packed with so many variants of the same product. It would also allow for start ups and small companies to get a foot hold in the market since there would be more space available for them to access. We shouldn't complain though. Did you see the documentary on SBS Foreign correspondent about the economic catastrophe faced by the people of Venezuela. The supermarkets there have nothing at all to sell at all.

abbg
  • 23rd Mar 2017 07:22pm

We never have too much choice and only unrealistic academics would thick so. Choice is the reason so many companies are in existence. They cut brands and people will walk to get their favourite else were, and I'll be one of them

Jemcoco
  • 23rd Mar 2017 07:06pm

I rather have more choices than less choices.
If the usual brand I buy is no longer available I will look for other supermarkets that stocks it. If it is not available at all, I will be very disappointed and I will have to research for the next best thing.
I prefer to have more brands. Having too many brands to choose from does not make it harder for me but offers me choices.
When I am faced with wide ranges to choose from I compare the quality of the products and which offers a better value.

Roland
  • 23rd Mar 2017 07:05pm

There is no point having the choice between umpteen brands with a flash name, you don't know a thing about. New brands are popping up each week claiming to be better but aren't. I'd rather have one brand (even if it is homebrand) I trust to be good quality and value for money. Aldi has shown the duopoly a new way successful on 3 continents and they are following suit instead of making their own way. And by the way more brands is not really more choice, it is more of the same in different packaging. That excitement I can easily spare.

justinsleary
  • 23rd Mar 2017 06:59pm

I like a lot of choice, I'd rather see a lot of choice then very little, as a large choice gives a large price range as well. The only case where I'd accept less choice is where the products are pretty much un-differentiable, in which case, as long as a good budget range (from cheap to expensive) is covered, then less choice is ok.

marktime
  • 23rd Mar 2017 06:55pm

i am sort of happy but by the same token if there is no competition quality could very well drop. Or Just the one brand and they can charge like a wounded bull.

Ashar
  • 23rd Mar 2017 06:45pm

Too much choice is not an issue, the more variety and brands of items to choose from in the supermarket the better. Where did this finding that customers who have too much choice are stressed out come from? Obviously from the supermarkets themselves. What a load of rubbish, baloney! They want to maximise their profits by selling their own home brands at the expense of suppliers and producers and to the detriment of consumers to gain market dominance. I constantly have to search online for my favourite brands .as they are no longer stocked by the supermarket. I definitely prefer very many more brands to choose from especially Australian made brands. If there are more brands to choose from it makes no less easier or harder to decide. My decisions are based on quality, whether it is Australian made or not, nutritional value and type of packaging as well as no artificial flavours and colouring, no MSG, no palm oil content.

ollietom1944
  • 23rd Mar 2017 06:43pm

I'm a mere male, but I don't find it confusing with too many choices. In fact the more choices gives me the opportunity to try other product labels now and then. But I do tend to stick to the old trusted brands, mainly the Australian Brands, which unfortunately are disappearing from our shelves.

manson
  • 23rd Mar 2017 06:33pm

coles/shell service station near me at Darlington charges 6 to 10 cents more than the servo's on Marion road
so if i go to the bother of giving them a docket i am still being ripped off
and to boot Shell is one of the multi-nationals who pay no taxation
coles more expensive than woolies or Aldi, not sure if Aldi pay tax like Ikea pay very little tax wich equates to the federal government subsidizing foriegn companies
have coles credit card, is excellent, only shop at coles when i have built up 10 dollars credit or if i get a gift card
less choice on the selves these days and think store brands should be labled as coles,woolworhs or aldi otherwise is miss-leading

choclady
  • 23rd Mar 2017 06:29pm

I would rather have more choice, you go to woolworths and its all there own brand now no choice in a lot of products.

BL
  • 23rd Mar 2017 06:23pm

There is far too much choice on the supernmarket shelves and new lables are appearing all too often. I prefer to have a few quality brands available to make a choice from. Too many manufacturers want to get on the bandwagon and produce some cheap copy of a product and make it a few cents cheaper to attract people who only buy based on price. I would prefer a limited choice of quality items available from respected manufacturers.

Skylark
  • 23rd Mar 2017 06:04pm

It wouldn't worry me at all. There are so many options in virtually every supermarket line, so an alternative is not an issue for me.
What would I do? Not stress about it at all, and get off my arse and find an alternative product.
I have no preference for more or less brands, I'm content with what's available now, but if the choice was cut by, say 30 % I doubt I'd notice.
More brands/choice wouldn't bother me, I know what I like and usually stick to those products. I'm not very adventurous!
I don't have a "system" for making a product choice.

winemac
  • 23rd Mar 2017 05:48pm

It appears as though we are heading for the dark ages in food retailing as the retail giants jockey for our dollar, or maybe I should say, position themselves to cut competition as they reduce our options to purchase a variety of goods that we have enjoyed all our lives. Today my wife & I went shopping at our local supermarket, Woolies, & could not buy our favourite brand of lollies so we were told they will no longer stock this item as their home brand is substituting for our favourite, Pascall.
Their shelves are becoming less attractive so now we will change our buying habits to find greater variety in the local Foodland & other stores when we are near them. We are just numbers now, not valued customers that were once greeted with friendly gestures. Sad.

mrspxl
  • 23rd Mar 2017 05:46pm

Im getting quite annoyed by the supermarkets treating me like l am stupid. The amount of branded products being removed from especially Coles shelves is frustrating and very inconvenient. Woolworths get more of my shopping money now as they seem to still have some of my preferred products. Coles no longer sell shredded wheat cereal ( hubbys favourite) so l go to Woolworths who still sell it. I like to have the option to choose what product or brand l buy not to be forced by the supermarket to buy what they want me to buy. Choice is better in my opinion.

PGS
  • 23rd Mar 2017 05:37pm

Too many choices may be a pain at times, but it is far better than no choice.

For some things, generic is fine. For some the taste difference is just too noticable - even in branded goods. As a small example, most of the jelly snakes are made by Nestles (they own most of the brand names), but the Natural Confectionary ones are the best tasting to us. Still Nestles.

Sometimes I will get a substitute if what I prefer is not available, sometimes not.

Afzal
  • 23rd Mar 2017 05:33pm

Too lees choices reduces competition... That in turn is like less offers, and things become more expensive. Increase in choices makes it great for consumers to choose the best and the producers can analyse and make themselves better. Reducing the choices is not the right thing

Michael
  • 23rd Mar 2017 05:25pm

Yes there are are too many brands to choose at Woolworths and Coles and I was unaware Aldi was cutting back in items stocked. I choice the cheapest and often home brands. I also buy a lot of deli items which are usually unbranded. It might be hurtful financially for some manufacturers and it would be good if these stores retain products that are made in Australia when deciding what to remove. On the score of choice, I think of a retailer of foodstuffs, like a small grocery who gets delivered fridges from various ice cream manufacturers so that they can stock their product. At the end of the day one brand ir two and one fridge is sufficient because the costs of power out ways any profit. If these free fridges fail on the weekend it used to be the rule that the shopkeeper had to pay for the repair. Not good. Less lines, less waste.

kitkat16
  • 23rd Mar 2017 05:25pm

Yes I think I think there are probably too many choices. I think 4 choices, should be enough, but I must admit if I would be a bit peeved if my favourite items were taken off the shelter.

bini
  • 23rd Mar 2017 05:14pm

I think the choice of items in each category is ridiculously excessive. Just look at milk or eggs for instance, I often stand there for a minute to find what I want because often they shift goods around supposedly to make you look at everything else and choose the more expensive items on the eye level shelves. Old fashioned and cheaper products are on the floor level where it often is difficult to see the price tag on the shelf. I also feel these marketing people are out there to screw us for as much as they can coax out of us. I guess that is good business from there point of view.
Cut down choice is good, if they don't have my favoured product anymore I will just find another one, no problem.

senorita
  • 23rd Mar 2017 05:07pm

I do not mind if they cut down the product lines, but before they do that, they should survey those products to check how many people would prefer this brand rather than the other brands. Also, cut down on those product brands that are less healthier.

Aggedor
  • 23rd Mar 2017 04:56pm

I think you can never have too much choice of brands, consumers should be able to select from a selection of different brands in each product category, particularly consumer staples that people tend to buy frequently. I hate the way supermarket chains are imposing their own brands on consumers (not so much Aldi because most of its products are homebrands, but Coles and Woolies should not be allowed to be in a position where they basically say you can buy our homebrands so there!). Reducing the number of brandname products on supermarket shelves just boosts the profits of retailers and makes it harder for manufacturers of branded food products to compete (if they are not getting shelf-space in the supermarkets they are not getting sales, which puts both their business and the jobs of employees at risk).
I generally prefer to buy brandname grocery products, because it is supporting local jobs and helps ensure that the brand will continue to be around (hopefully).
If Coles/Woolies dropped one of my favourite brands I would probably shop somewhere else, even paying more to buy my favourite brand than buying a generic product. Having said that, the Coles/Woolies generic brands are generally much better quality now than in the past when they had a reputation for being cheap and nasty. But I still prefer name-brand products.

nennerb
  • 23rd Mar 2017 04:56pm

I'm all in favour of less products too choose from especially for the older customer
> My elderly mum finds it so hard to shop the products shen know and loves have gone and have been replaced with numerous similar products no of which she know so in this case LESS IS MORE MOST DEFINATELY THANK YOU

katy
  • 23rd Mar 2017 04:47pm

Choice is good as it gives us variety but too much choice is just overwelming. Do we really need a whole isle of biscuits for example. My choices are based on price and quality.

mez1
  • 23rd Mar 2017 04:41pm

I don't find it stressful if there is too much choice. I'm happy to compare products in terms of country of origin, ingredients, additives, price, etc. There are many people with particular dietary requirements so choice is important to them. Having said that, once I decide on my preferred product, I stick to it, so the issue of amount of choice becomes less relevant. That is, until that product disappears from the shelves and the process starts again! I do not like the way Coles and Woolworths are reducing the number of brands and replacing with their own home brands. I shop at Aldi occasionally but that is more for the experience of finding bargains or something different to try, rather than as a regular supermarket shop.

MazzyJ
  • 23rd Mar 2017 04:22pm

For me there isn't enough choice as the big supermarkets are removing popular brands and replacing them with their own brand items which in most cases is rubbish. Seems each fortnight when I go shopping more things I normally buy are missing and in their place is the supermarket brand stuff or nothing at all. The only supermarket brand stuff I have found any good is the Woolworths butter and their Macro frozen veggies. All else is rubbish and Coles I don't buy their own brand stuff since I got coles grated cheddar cheese and couldn't cut through the stuff with kitchen scissors when it was melted.
Aldi I wish had more variety as they don't have much I need.
When my usual brad isn't there I don't buy anything and if I find it in another supermarket I will shop there. Having a wide range makes it easier for me to choose. I check out what's in the product and the price and if they are similar and I need two I will get two different brands to see which I like better.
I live in a small country area the local supermarket is a small IGA they don't have a big range and are almost twice the price of Woolworths. Woolworths is 30mins from me so I go there as even adding what I pay for petrol to get there I'm still saving money (well getting more for my money)
Coles and Aldi are both over an hour one way from me so I don't get there often.
I think Woolworths and Coles should remove the self serve lanes and add more checkouts and products.

vickbenla
  • 23rd Mar 2017 04:19pm

I have found a number of items I usually buy from Woolies are no longer available & I think some name brands are being replaced with cheap imports. It makes me quite angry when I can't find Australian grown & produced tinned fruit, horrible flavourless stuff from Thailand on the shelves

El
  • 23rd Mar 2017 04:17pm

Although I am probably a very indecisive person and too many choices can stress me out, I am not a fan of shopping at Aldi for that very reason - very limited choices of brands. I usually do shop at Woolworths although have been lately shopping at Coles because they seem to have been offering better "bonuses" and I am on a bit of a Flybuys mission. I think price still plays quite a bit part in the decision of which product to choose, I find I am not a really "brand loyal" shopper and do like to try new products and brands as they come onto the market. The only benefit I can see from less brands to choose from is that it will save time in the supermarket but I am not sure that Coles and Woolworths are making the right decision in cutting their choices down as a lot of shoppers feel the same as I do and like the variety of brands.

jkl421960
  • 23rd Mar 2017 04:14pm

I find it can be difficult to choose with so many options but I always go for the cheaper price anyway. I think we rely on too much on brand when it does not make a really big difference to the taste just to the hip pocket. I have no problems with them limiting their options provided they still give us options that are cost effective an not take off the cheaper products for the more expensive ones.

Nita
  • 23rd Mar 2017 04:08pm

I have only been thinking about this topic throughout the past week. I know that over the years, I have come across a situation where my favourite product was no longer going to be stocked, I was so annoyed at this decision and voiced my opinion to a Coles worker, who also agreed with me. I can understand if a brand stops making a specific product but when a Supermarket, especially the giants like Coles & Woolworths, start taking it upon themselves to decide what to sell us....that really gets my goat! I refuse to shop at Aldi....I walked in one day, intent on doing my shopping there but couldn't find my favourite brands, I ended up walking back out through the checkout with NO products at all.
I have no idea who the Supermarkets spoke to when they came to the idea that customers were bamboozled by choice....I know myself, I love having choice, I love being in control of my shopping and what I decide to buy for the family...what I decide to consume myself and I don't want to lose this control. Coles & Woolworths have me feeling rail-roaded, when ever they decide to stop stocking a product or brand, which is happening more & more as they both bring in more lines of their own home brands, I am fed up & completely frustrated by their ignorance and their lack of thought for the customer.
If I'm shopping and I'm faced with a variety of choices for a particular product, I will try them all, until I find the brand that tastes the best to me, the one that my family prefer. I also take into consideration where the product is made and may also check the nutrition panel for salt, sugar and fat content.
I love having the opportunity to make my own choice. How boring would the weekly shopping trip be if we only had 1 or 2 brand choices available for all lines of products?

IsabelC
  • 23rd Mar 2017 04:07pm

I think that in answering this questions, it is crucial to make the distinction between genuine choice - choice about factors that customers might consider most important - versus illusory choice, where there is great appearance of choice but little real choice. Real and meaningful choices are almost always appreciated, whereas it is the illusory or not particularly meaningful choices that create stress without giving any benefits. My overall experience with big supermarkets (Coles and Woolworths, because I am in Tasmania where we don't have Aldi yet) is that there are too many product items in the store, but at the same time I often can't get the item I am looking for. In contrast, IGA and other independent grocery stores have fewer different items, but offer more real choices.

One example that comes to mind is frozen puff pastry. There are basically two types: puff pastry made with real butter, and puff pastry made with margerine and/or oil. My local Woolworths store has about six 'different' versions of puff pastry for sale, but they are all oil-based, and I can't the butter version, which is what I need. So they could have more choice by offering two real options instead of six apparent options that are in reality indistinguishable from each other.

twhillas
  • 23rd Mar 2017 03:59pm

Living in a small rural community and having to travel 45 km to a Foodland SA medium-sized supermarket OR 40 km to a small Foodworks supermarket makes the question of Coles and Woolworths - some 200 km distant to nearest one - somewhat moot. Although I appreciate the range of product lines stocked, I fully understand the rationale behind reducing the number of brands/package size options for certain stocked items - especially in terms of shelf-space/use-by or best-before date expiration and subsequent wastage/sales losses. In these terms I support the move to fewer options/choices PROVIDED the quality and competitive pricing is retained plus Australian produce/manufactured products are give pre-eminence over imported, lower quality products and that it is NOT a means by large supermarket chains to use as a negotiating tool to force producers/manufacturers into unsustainable pricing supply contracts with a view to forcing these producers/manufacturers out of business and allow the supermarket chain to provide their own brand-name products to the public!

barbiedoll99
  • 23rd Mar 2017 03:56pm

I don't like the small variety that "Aldi's have that is why I shop at Woolworth's and mostly Cole's, I like browsing the products and the variety of each item. It gives me a choice and I like to try each maker in the items I want, then I can select the particular one that I like the best.

Moochy
  • 23rd Mar 2017 03:49pm

It is a shame that Coles is reducing the product line they stock! Think big for consumer choice and not to rely on the few that is stressful. Shopping is fun especially when you save heaps of money at the check out. More choice brings on our democracy to make a choice. China's influence at the shopping experience is slowly creeping in our lives. More stock line brings more choice and that makes shopping fun. Supermarkets should be bigger and stock more choice for us consumers.

nonos
  • 23rd Mar 2017 03:48pm

There is too much choice on the shelves and it can be confronting, but the problem is by Coles and Woollies removing existing products it is usually products shoppers are use to buying. I can't buy the deodorant "MUM" at Woolworths anymore and have to go elsewhere to purchase it. That is not the only product over the years they have removed, but I also understand new brands and products are manufactured every year so by removing older brands it makes way for the new products.

Shirl
  • 23rd Mar 2017 03:42pm

I don't live close to an Aldi store - the closest is 150k. when I go there I do a big shop for basic things that are used all the time. I have got to know the quality of their brands - I started off buying one of each, now I buy multiples of the brands I like... If I lived closer I would give Coles and Woolworths the flick altogether. I rarely buy "name" brands but prefer the store brands (and so does my wallet). so it wouldn't worry me if there were fewer available I know the eternal opinion is to buy Aussie but one must also be realistic enough to know that people on low income can't always afford this option. Making my decisions while shopping is easy, I go for what I know and like.

Gessie
  • 23rd Mar 2017 03:36pm

Whether Coles and Woolies reduce their products lines or not, to me it doesn't matter. Being a lactose intolerant person, I am already limited on what I can eat and drink. So the problem for me is the opposite.

y_not
  • 23rd Mar 2017 03:35pm

I don't think having less choice would be a problem in the long run. If the brand I usually buy was not available I would try another store. If I could not find my preferred brand anywhere then I would have to look at trying new brands until I found one I liked. I tend to stick to one brand unless another is a much lower price. But often lower doesn't mean better, so I prefer less choice.

nome0171
  • 23rd Mar 2017 03:32pm

It annoys me the supermarkets giving us less choices. I noticed many years ago them cutting brands off their shelves. Golden circle tin beans..Australian company, replaced with foreign tins. They cut more brands and replace it with generics and cheap foreign rubbish.
Once i notice one of my regular items gone i try look for the same product but if i cant find what i need i scrap it from our house.
I mostly buy fresh items now. Very little tinned or packaged stuff.
I wont to buy from Australian companies and farmers.
They need to stock more Australian produced items, get rid of the other stuff then i dont mind them cutting my choices.

mysteron347
  • 24th Mar 2017 01:24pm
It annoys me the supermarkets giving us less choices. I noticed many years ago them cutting brands off their shelves. Golden circle tin beans..Australian company, replaced with foreign tins. They...

Sorry, nome0171 - Golden Circle was sold to Heinz in 2009...

Bushy Bob
  • 23rd Mar 2017 03:29pm

For years I shopped almost exclusively at Woolworths because I thought Cole's range of products was far too small. I also had trouble finding basic items in Coles Stores, A newly-built Coles Store in my suburb is very well laid out but still suffers from limited stock, Last week I wanted a simple fluorescent tube and a starter switch and found that Coles stocked neither. I went to a nearby IGA store and bought both knowing that Woolworths would also stock these items. It is one thing to not stock the brand you want but it is frustrating to find no version of the required item is available.

jjdrer
  • 23rd Mar 2017 03:27pm

The generic brands are all manufactured by the big band name companies, not only groceries but other products too.
Prior to retiring I knew where some of the generic brands came from.
Some companies has changed their names ore been bought by others. e.g. Lifesavers, Hoadleys, Pascalls,were all separate companies. They have been taken over by others. Arnotts, Motteram, Menz were 3 separate companies. Now they are known as Arnotts Biscuits...unless that has changed since mid 2009. Soft Drinks there was Woodroofes, Schweppes(Cadbury took them over), Coca Cola (they have taken over some brands), Tarax. Golden Circle make some that are only sold in cans.
In smallgoods there was Bruces, Jacobs, Chapmans. Ihghams (they still exist) Bruces don't exist now. I think Chapmans may have taken over Jacobs.
Some brands have more salt/ carbohyrates (including sugar) than others. Some of the generic brands have less in them than the big names which is beneficial to us.
Some petfoods are sold under different brand names yet are sold to the Supermarkets and other outlets as one company manufacturer name

Glenn60
  • 23rd Mar 2017 03:17pm

Yes, too much choice- so I prepare by having my shopping list prior rather than get bogged down in a aisle in confusion.

Teegan
  • 23rd Mar 2017 03:14pm

I've never been to Aldi as there isn't one in the town where I live, however as a regular to Coles & Woolworths I'm happy with the product range that's available. I believe in Australia we are very lucky with the range, price and freshness of our products and cutting a few out will not make a difference to the way we shop. If there are fewer brands it will make some people's shopping quicker, you take what we can get and I think as long as the quality is still good for the brands that are still available, then we don't have anything to complain about.

Loz
  • 23rd Mar 2017 03:14pm

I would rather have more choice. I get sick of Coles and Woolies deleting lines and putting in inferior homebrands. When there are lots of brands to choose from, there are usually a lot of cheap and nasty brands in the selection, so it makes it easy to cut down on choices, eliminate them for a start! I would then look for a brand that has quality ingredients, or is less harmful to the environment. I don't like over packaging.

Gerry1945
  • 23rd Mar 2017 03:13pm

I hate it as now I have to visit 4 stores not on the same day mostly.
Bananas at Aldi and my local produce store are 1.79 a Kilo....but Coles Woolies 3.00 or more.
I can buy almost 2x as much fruits and veggies at half the price of major Supermarkets.
I have lost many of my favourite products mainly from Coles and Woolies. Also hard to find any Aussie products, mostly I think Aussie stuff is cleaner and safer.
Wide range is good as we have better choices. If a store does not stock I go to another.
However it costs me more in fuel to shop at 4 stores but I still save in the end.
Major supermarkets buy for 1.00 and sell for 4 dollars 300% mark up. If they did not advertise and waste money.
Coles' marketing spend fell 25 per cent to $53.6 million last year and Woolworths supermarkets cut back by 5.3 per cent to $87.9 million.
I would still buy the same products I do now even if there were no annoying advertising.

***Pottsy***
  • 23rd Mar 2017 03:07pm

How do you feel about having less choice in the supermarket?
- Frustrated, annoyed, disappointed, manipulated, angry, belittled....I can go on! Why should a supermarket get to make our choices for us? Let the consumer decide what they want to buy and what they don't.

What would you do if your usual brand was no longer available?
What can most people do? What do we as consumers have TIME to do? It varies for all of us. The choices come down to shop somewhere that does sell the brand you want or buy a 'fill-in' product until you have time to go elsewhere or choose a new brand and hope it fulfills your needs as much as your favourite brand did. You can always contact the manufacturer and find out the best place to buy their goods. If you are super keen on supporting your brand I guess you could go the media and make a fuss

Would you prefer more or fewer brands to choose from?
This totally depends on what the product is. I don't believe you can lump all products into this question and come out with the same answer
Sometimes more choice is better, sometimes it just isn't necessary, sometimes more brands means more competition thus better prices. Sometimes less brands means prices can be increased. In teh end it comes downm to what type of product you are looking at and also why you are buying that product in the first place. There are many variables.

Does having too many brands to choose from make it harder to decide? When you are faced with a wide range of products to choose from, how you make your decision?
No, but it does slightly depend on the type of product. e.g are you buying a tin of tomatoes or a pasta sauce that has many ingredients? A tin of tomatoes may vary slightly between brands but basically you are getting tomatoes! However a pasta sauce with many ingredients can vary greatly between brands! It depends what you are looking for in the product you buy. Are you fussy about value? Are you fussy about taste? Are you fussy about where it was made? Are you fussy about where it was grown? Does one brand have more environmentally friendly packaging? Are you looking for the cheapest price for the best value? Most 'seasoned' shoppers know exactly what they want from a product and for them the more brands the better. They love using their past experience and knowledge to make good choices. However, for a novice shopper being faced with a wall of different brands can indeed be confusing.
It comes down to individual needs and wants in the and we all have different needs and wants

lilli
  • 23rd Mar 2017 03:05pm

going back to the forties there was only the corner store where really there was not much variety in food or brands. Once the supermarkets were bought into our country there were heaps of products and brands etc. Now with all the overseas brands here now with the competition they had to cut costs plus downsize the variations of such products. It is just a thing we have to put up with I guess as these supermarkets play their games of still trying to maintain their profits. Of course it would be lovely to have a great variety of goods but it seems to be the system of today and we have to put up with it I guess. There are a lot of products I have enjoyed over the years have all of a sudden gone from the shelves which is completely distasteful and they give no explanation why.
cheers and good luck to all consumers
Helen Harris....... helendav_lilli_414@hotmail.com

jrl
  • 23rd Mar 2017 03:01pm

I don't mind restrictions on choice, as long what is being offered is of at least reasonable quality for the price paid. Generally I find Aldi lives up to this requirement, and in my opinion has the best quality own-brand products.

Ramsay123
  • 23rd Mar 2017 03:00pm

At a supermarket like Coles and Woolies I expect a full range of brand choices. During the last couple of years I've seen that range narrow in both supermarket chains. Not only have they reduced the number of brands competing with their own "home" brands but also I've found that each supermarket exclusively stocks certain popular lines - annoying if you're brand-loyal as you must shop at both to find it.
Thr result of this is that I'm shopping at independent supermarkets quite often these days as and when I require things, rather than the traditional once-a-week shop.

lele
  • 23rd Mar 2017 02:54pm

Sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming we are spoilt for choice. Than at times even with all this choice you still can't get certain products especially when they are on promotion

Fan Yang
  • 23rd Mar 2017 02:53pm

i prefer as much choice as possible so i can compare and decide what's best suit my needs. also, more options will helping me reduce cost. if less products available i will seek for more options elsewhere

lyjaam
  • 23rd Mar 2017 02:49pm

Yes I do think too much choice can be confusing. I usually do most of my shopping at Aldi but go to Woolworth's for meat as Aldi packages in large amounts and although I know it can be frozen pensioners can not always afford this. Aldi has mostly everything at much lower prices than any of the other supermarkets.

Because I am on a limited budget I mostly buy the store's own brand so I don't sorry about all the other brands.

Wally the Clown
  • 23rd Mar 2017 02:46pm

I have gotten used to it over the last 14 years, but occasionally I am reminded how execrably limited the choices are here in WA, even compared only to the eastern states, not to mention other countries. So very many choices based on frauds and scams ( numerous different types of milk, antioxidant-supplemented items, silly "me-too"products) and so few real choices. I admit the asian food selection is not horribly limited, but I do my shopping for such at asian markets, with a hugely better selection. I go to a specialty retailer for Mexican products, Indian products and Middle Eastern products as Woolworths and Coles are extremely expensive for such items and have almost no selection.
From a psychological standpoint, apparently it is more difficult to choose with many options- so it's easier here,with so few, especially when you edit out the frauds and scams. I have never had a problem over here, likely because I grew up having a lot of choices, even 30 years ago.

I do not in any way believe that "stress" is why the two major corporations have cut back- for two reasons. a) They are in no way honest- I have watched prices raised and sizes shrunk, then prices cut partway back as "prices dropped!" over the last few years. I expect they did it in desperation when ALDI came in, as they had fixed prices between themselves for so many years.
b) I don't notice any fewer brands or items to choose from, actually I have noticed more over the last few months.....so it goes back to "a"- they are not being honest. Maybe over east they have cut back- I wouldn't know. The selection over here was so artificially limited that it may not show up as much.

redgums
  • 23rd Mar 2017 02:45pm

IF MORE LINES WERE REPLACED WITH AUSTRALIAN PRODUCT WOULD BE FANTASTIC

yoda
  • 23rd Mar 2017 02:45pm

I really believe that people...like myself really appreciate choice at the supermarket...BECAUSE WE LOVE TO COOK...and try different brands, different varieties...the more to chose from the better. I think people who dont have the time to prepare meals need something quick and easy...in and out of the supermarket and if the meAL IS READYMADE..BETTER FOR THEM..!!..If my usual brand was not available Im very happy to experiment with another. If Im faced with a wide variety of choice I absolutely look forward to the challenge of..."hmmmmm...!!!....this looks interesting and different from my usual product...gotta try this..!!"...so to me..the more choice the better.

jud
  • 23rd Mar 2017 02:43pm

I would not like less choice in the supermarket. I do buy a lot of their own label. I mostly shop at Woolworths so I would not be happy about this!

blueposy
  • 23rd Mar 2017 02:40pm

not sure if its a good or bad idea seeing as coles and woolworths are part of a duelopoly ,I guess if customers dont like it they will talk with rheir feet and go elsewhere

chuckles
  • 23rd Mar 2017 02:39pm

Sometimes having lots of choices can be beneficial.It gives everyone a variety to choose from.If they cut down the product lines, it usually means they want you buy their home brand products to boost their profits.I don't mind Aldi or Coles own brands for certain products,however i still prefer to buy the well known brands if i want to.

KennethS
  • 23rd Mar 2017 02:36pm

Two factors determine our buying of groceries, namely quality and value for money, and consequently ALDI gets the lion's share of our business. we tend to buy the items that we prefer where they are not stocked at ALDI from Coles and Woolworths, with Coles getting the bulk of such business. The only loyalty we have is to our wallets.
if a branded product we prefer is dropped by Coles or Woolies, we will either find an alternate stockist, or another competing product, and so long as it is acceptable price will be the criteria as to where we buy it. Probably will be ALDI if all other factors are equal.
We don't bother about fuel coupons as a rule because PUMA and 7 Eleven tend to be as if not more competitive than Coles even with their coupons. Why the ACCC ever allowed the dominant duopoly of Coles and Woolworths to capture over 70% of the fuel market is a mystery to me. Perhaps the right people were induced to look the other way.

Shell1967
  • 23rd Mar 2017 02:34pm

I used shop more at Aldis but found no matter how hard I tried I always had to visit coles or woolworths as well to complete my weekly shopping, hence my trips to Aldi has tapered off significantly only visiting occasionally with the certainy I will most likely still have to visit Coles or Woolworths. Of course like most shoppers by visiting two supermarkets I end up purchasing more than just visiting one - the infamous scenario I only need two things and you come out with two bags.

Hence while Coles and Woolworths could reduce their choice a little I think Aldi really need to expand theres. My pick would always be too more over to little.

sidra
  • 23rd Mar 2017 02:34pm

Well there are so many brands that it becomes hard to choose which brand to buy. My experience says that all the quality products are expensive hence the brand becomes famous due to quality and expensive too. Its all anout affordability. For many people it becomes hard to buy expensive brand and they have to compromise for quality.
I have 3 kids and my husband is a casual kitchen hand. For me its a bit hard to buy expensive brands therefore i go for cheap brands. Mostly i buy homebrand. I like expensive brands but i cant buy. If homebrand is not available then i go for other brands.
Definitely there is a big dissappointment when my desired brand is not there. I have to buy some expensive brand with a small quantity.
Normally if i have to buy bulk stuff then i travel to distant stores if my favorite brand is not available.
I really want to get rid of this brandmania. Many poor people goes into inferiority complex because they cant buy expensive brands.
I must say there should not be much difference of prices so they become affordable for everyone.

AnneS
  • 23rd Mar 2017 02:33pm

I shop at a smaller local Coles store and I know they do not stock all the lines that the big stores stock. Even so I never feel that I am restricted because there is still a good choice and variety to choose from. I get used to the available brands and know the varieties I have tried and that we have enjoyed. Sometimes I think that the only difference is the amount of stock they have on the shelves of a set item. As the customer base is not as big as the larger stores they do not have to have so much of each item on the shelves and they seem to restock everything regularly. I was disappointed when they ceased to stock Akta-Vite but I can understand that it is not worth their while if it rarely sells. As there is no other brand that suits my needs I have to go elsewhere to buy it, but having a long shelf life I can stock up every now and then. The Aldi stores I have used are not very large so I can see why they limit their stock. mind you they do have a very diverse range of "other items" on special which take up a very large part of their stores. I think these "special" items act as a draw card to bring customers in, I know my husband loves checking them all out. Perhaps that is a good ploy on their behalf, Mum does the grocery shopping and meanwhile Dad spends extra on the special goodies.

fairymiss
  • 23rd Mar 2017 02:32pm

i would prefer to be able to choose from as many as i as i like. i do not like the idea of being manipulated into buying only what others want me to. i want choice

margaretjulia
  • 23rd Mar 2017 02:30pm

I am increasingly frustrated by the lack of choice and availability at my local Woolworths store. I went to do all my shopping there and that included mixed fruit for baking purposes. The only mixed fruit was their own brand and it only had currants and sultannas in it. Went further afield to Coles and managed by purchase the Sunbeam Brand there. However, there was still not much choice. Another problems is buy two fruits at the local Coles. I do not like having to go to more than one store when grocery shopping

porge
  • 23rd Mar 2017 02:30pm

Brand names are being replaced with home brands which doesn't work for me. I vote with my feet and go where I can buy the brand I want.

nightcarer
  • 23rd Mar 2017 02:26pm

There are a lot of supermarkets in one area so if I could not find the product I usually have I would look for it in another store. I prefer a bit of choice but if there's too much choice I tend to choose one that is the best value for money (ie I check the price per __). I think it seems that the big supermarkets are trying to make us choose the "own brand" over the "named brand" but I would rather shop around to find what I prefer than settling for something else. The only problem I have with Aldi is that I find a product I like & then they change the products they stock & the one I like is usually the one that is no longer there :-(

mtg
  • 23rd Mar 2017 02:20pm

I do not think that there are too many brands in the supermarket. The more the merrier as far as I am concerned. I would be irate if someone decided to take a brand away because it confused someone else. I do not think its the reason they remove things,its more lightly that its not selling as its all about money. My local Coles has all its shelves filled and no empty spaces where a "brand has been remove".

driag
  • 23rd Mar 2017 02:18pm

There is no need to copy Aldi, our supermarkets are Australian and should not be blackmailed into throwing out ranges of products to suit the slack services that Aldi offer. most Aldi shops have four checkouts but only open one, will not open more until there is a minimum of 10 customers in line.
our supermarkets have staff available for assistance, Aldi does not
What woollies and Coles need to concentrate on is supply us with Australian grown foods and not the cheap products that comes in from S. Americas ad Some Asian countries, where hygiene doesn't happen

KennethS
  • 23rd Mar 2017 02:55pm
There is no need to copy Aldi, our supermarkets are Australian and should not be blackmailed into throwing out ranges of products to suit the slack services that Aldi offer. most Aldi shops have...

Sorry to disappoint you but the blackmailers in the supermarket business are Coles and Woolworths, who use their dominant market position to squeeze extra discounts from suppliers, in fact Coles has suffered several multi million dollar fines in the past couple of years for unethical and illegal business practices in relation to their suppliers.
The profitability of a retailing operation is determined by stock turn, and in the supermarket business stock turn is very high, very few items have a stock turn of less than 20 many have one of over 50 (especially the lost leaders of bread and milk, which are used as drawcards to entice customers to shop.
On the whole a majority of stocked items have margins close to, and in many cases over 100% - just think about their specials discounts, and apart from Bread and Milk they don't as a rule run lost leaders, although they are far from backward in approaching suppliers to extort additional discounts for marketing specials - the successful prosecutions were based on this practice, where they threatened suppliers to drop their lines unless they cut the supply price.
So think about a stockturn of 20 on the employed capital. Nice work if you can get it.

CeeBee
  • 23rd Mar 2017 02:16pm

I would be really annoyed if Coles and Woolies were to cut the number of product lines they stock. I don't like Aldi at all ... I don't like their limited choice, I don't like or trust their brands, and their stores always seem to look messy! I would be more stressed if I didn't find my preferred brand because it would mean tracking it down elsewhere. If faced with a wide range of products to choose from I tend to go with what appears to be the best quality for the best price that I can afford.

sharnilg
  • 23rd Mar 2017 02:15pm

I like having as much choice as possible so then I can go with the healthiest option, it may take me longer to decide however I don't mind. As much variety as possible is preferable for me. If there is less choice, they should reduce prices to compensate for this.

angry mum
  • 23rd Mar 2017 02:14pm

You can never have too much to choose from as far as supermarkets are concerned. I find Aldi is getting up there in price with the bigger chains but I just can't do a total shop there as there is too much limit on what you can buy there. I see Woolworths is slowly getting rid of their Homebrand products which is a shame because some of the stuff (eg. cling wrap and the like) was fine. The more choice the better. I will try anything once and if its a good product and saves me money, then I will stick to that product. If there is a wide range on some products, then I will try the cheaper one first and if its no good, then simple, next time I buy a more expensive product.

squeekums
  • 23rd Mar 2017 02:14pm

Im not fussed on the amount of choice
I go for cheapest as it is
Since the brands i do buy are big sellers like coke, im ok i know they wont get rid of that lol, everything else home brand as it is anyway

8181
  • 23rd Mar 2017 02:14pm

How the hell can people not decide on products? Just go with gut instinct or what seems healthy, don't use the product again if you don't like it. Alot of products have a satisfaction money back guarantee.I feel that this isn't about helping people at all. I suspect it's about developing and placing more cheap Woolies and Coles products on the shelves while cutting out superior quality foods and businesses. (Coles pizza is the worst I've ever tried in my life, same with their salt and vinegar chips). Disgusting but I'm not surprised.

taffy
  • 23rd Mar 2017 02:11pm

It doesn't bother me at all. If my favourite choice is not available I would choose something else.

mare
  • 23rd Mar 2017 02:08pm

I prefer less choice as I am not particularly loyal to any brand name and too many choice are confusing...

Cars
  • 23rd Mar 2017 02:06pm

I think it's almost always better to have more choices. You can always buy the cheapest product (if you don't believe price signals quality), or the most expensive product (if you think price signals quality). Unit pricing helps the decision-maker.

legs
  • 23rd Mar 2017 02:04pm

I find I have got used to having less choices by shopping at ALDI when I shop elsewhere I find many choices unnecessary and believe that many choices lead to higher prices as well as taking longer

shaper
  • 23rd Mar 2017 02:02pm

I like a large choice in both price and brand, as long as they keep all the same kind of products together. There is nothing worse then chasing all over a shop trying to find a particular item. I also get annoyed when they drop my choice and replace it with their own .

Sweets1
  • 23rd Mar 2017 01:59pm

I actually agree. Most people only buy a certain range of products anyway and stick to their favourites. We should stock more australian products on the shelves, or have aisles solely dedicated to Aussie produce

ShazzR
  • 23rd Mar 2017 01:57pm

I would rather too many products to choose from than just one or two. I dislike being forced into making a choice of something that isnt really what I want. If a product I like isnt available, I would rather go and get it elsewhere especially if the product I use is the best I have found, why change? If there is a gap in the market for a certain product and neither Aldi, Coles or Woolworths stock it, and Foodland or IGA did, I would shop there.

Amensch
  • 23rd Mar 2017 01:57pm

I think it is great that there is a large selection to choose from. Overall I don't think that there is too much to choose I get use to buying usually the same products its what I get use to. Variety is a good thing> I haver noticed such a large selection of breakfast meals that I have tried some new flavours - great

Beaverquick
  • 23rd Mar 2017 01:56pm

I do like to have a reasonable amount of choice but one thing that really annoys me is when a particular item disappears completely from the shelves eg Coles no longer stocks wheat bran nor smart sugar and it means I have to go to another supermarket because I use both those products. It's not a matter of choice then, it means you can't get the item at all.

MissLizzie
  • 23rd Mar 2017 01:55pm

I tend to buy certain more expensive brands only when they are on special. I always have a backup option, just in case the product is out of stock, or I ask for a rain check. There are a few things I won't compromise on eg Vegemite.

Cazza1989
  • 23rd Mar 2017 01:51pm

I don't like the idea of having less choice, as I sometimes shop at the one shop before heading home.

Marivig
  • 23rd Mar 2017 01:49pm

I don't think there is enough choice as it is, and when you find something you really like at a good price they discontinue it. It is really frustrating. I am vegetarian and finding good vegetarian food is really hard. I hope Coles and Woolworths do not cut stock.

patimiki
  • 23rd Mar 2017 01:37pm

I feel that too much choice would make it difficult to decide, but I quite enjoy browsing different brands and compare them. I usually buy the same brand or choose my favorite brand for certain items, so it would be disappointing if those brands become unavailable. I would be open to try different brands in that case.

patimiki
  • 23rd Mar 2017 01:36pm

I feel that too much choice would make it difficult to decide, but I quite enjoy browsing different brands and compare them. I usually buy the same brand or choose my favorite brand for certain items, so it would be disappointing if those brands become unavailable. I would be open to try different brands in that case.

Brian1951
  • 23rd Mar 2017 01:36pm

They are right too much stuff on the shelves I would never use. If they drop a product I like and use another similar - however what about shelving mostly Australian products.

neddens
  • 23rd Mar 2017 01:34pm

I honestly do not believe that too many items are stressful. I actually think that the reduction in brands is more irritating. these brands appear to have been replaced with Coles and Woolworths home brand items. so I do not think that this action by Coles and Woolworths is really for the consumers, but rather for the company products. I sometimes have to visit more than one supermarket to find my favourite brands. e.g. IGA still stocks multibrands.

nanone
  • 23rd Mar 2017 01:32pm

I want to be able to choose from a wide variety of products when I shop not be limited as you are in Aldi. I decide to buy Australian made and or produced products and stick to them. It's very frustrating when the product lines that I want to buy are not on the shelves anymore and overseas products have taken their place. Supermarkets should give the Australian shopper a fair go and stop limiting our choice of products in there stores..

archiweb
  • 23rd Mar 2017 01:22pm

Obviously some products have huge variants, not useful - I have my favourites, some surprisingly are not even home brands. I find Aldi great but lots of product types not stocked - eg no Rabbit pet food. Because of differing prices for everyday items I tend to shop at Aldi, Woolworths and Coles to get my best buys. Coles Flybuy rerwards are really good due to bonus points and I admit I sometimes shop there in preference to get the rewards - but up to a point. Carrots usually 99 cents in Aldi and often almost double at others. Same saving with Kale and Cauliflower. I guess I, like most shoppers seek out the best buys for my particular needs. I value choice as it is good for everyone.

jackdaw
  • 23rd Mar 2017 01:15pm

Most products are ok but yoghurt.....Every time I buy yoghurt, I trawl through the many available to find the most suitable. I look for low sugar, full fat, and a few other requirements. Perhaps, it is not the choice but the way they are laid out. I always shop online and if there were better filtering options, it would be easy. If my usual is not available, I do buy another brand however I still need to do a lot of research as to price etc.

ejn1985
  • 23rd Mar 2017 01:03pm

There is a lot of choice in the retail world & sometimes it can be stressful trying to decide which item is better. Is there a difference in price because there is a difference in quality or is it cheaper because it's made overseas or cheaper for another reason? Is it environmentally friendly or not? We often have to weigh these things up in our purchasing decision. Sometimes it is annoying, but at the end of the day, we like to have choice when we go to the shops. We often find that a product that we loved is no longer being sold & then we have to try & find something else that even comes close to what we liked.
We like shopping at Aldi, but we always have to go to other shops, such as Coles in order to complete our shopping list. If the major supermarkets reduce our choices, then the items that we buy from there might not be available anymore, & therefore it will reduce our likelihood of visiting the store. Therefore, we would prefer that the stores keep plenty of choices available on their shelves for the customers to choose from.

Dei
  • 23rd Mar 2017 01:00pm

I don't mind having choice, how else would I discover products like Beerenberg Tomato Sauce or Koala Herbal Breakfast tea, which have quickly become family favourites? What I hate is so called 'authorities', like the government & now Woolworths & Coles trying to tell me what I can/cannot do, have, think or buy. Enough of the nanny nationing, let me make up my own mind!
This is probably the reason I don;t like Aldi, too limited & as I prefer to support Australian, farmers & suppliers probably why I choose to shop at IGA rather than other supermarkets.
I think it is more likely to be more stressful if your preferred brands are no longer stocked, you need to spend time browsing, then purchase & taste test a 'new' product, which may or may not suit family tastebuds & may prove to be a costly exercise.
How do I choose, look at nutrition labels, especially sugars but then I think it comes down to being a 'gut' feeling.

saras
  • 23rd Mar 2017 12:37pm

To me it's all about the shopping experience as I enjoy shopping and love browsing. The more choices you have the longer I will browse and the more likely I am to buy something.
I don't consider having a lot of choices an issue as you can then make a more informed decision but I think that the time issue may be important to some that have children so as long as it is made easy to locate items so that this will assist the person that just wants to get in and out.
I don't have a problem with generic brands as they mostly are as good as the originals but cheaper.

Mina83
  • 23rd Mar 2017 12:37pm

Although I personally don't feel stressed out about having options and it is nice to have variety I think more options lead to waste. There is so much food that gets thrown out in households and I wonder if some of it is from so much choice. You buy a product just because it's new and there even though you may already like that product in a different brand and style and if you don't like the new product in the bin it goes. I think having a little less choice still gives people some say in what they buy without the worry of if you made the right choice and much less waste. There is that feeling of pressure when there are so many options and really there shouldn't be that much pressure when picking everyday items. With so many decisions to make in life it would be a relief to not have to stress out in the supermarket as well.

jvanes
  • 23rd Mar 2017 12:22pm

Too much choice is not an issue for me. The supermarkets are trying to force us to buy their no name inferior foreign-made products by narrowing the choice and claiming they are helping us by reducing our choices is nonsense. I used to do all my weekly grocery shop at one supermarket, now I split it between Coles, Woolworths, local green grocers, health food stores and IGA to find the brands I want and if that doesn't work I contact the company making the brands and find out where I can buy them or order them online. I make my decision on the ingredients and read all the labels carefully as I am a vegetarian and only eat healthy food. It is particularly frustrating when I find a healthy vegetarian product and it disappears from the shelves and it happens more and more often.

dj0003
  • 23rd Mar 2017 12:14pm

When you have a partner who is diabetic, choosing products and reading labels is hard enough but when those products suddenly go missing from the supermarket shelf it's a damn nightmare !
As far as I'm concerned it's getting harder & harder to do the groceries because my favourite brands all of a sudden have gone. I don't mind some of the branded stuff but it's hard when it's not made in Aust.
My 1st choice will always be locally grown/made, then Aust grown/made but even that's getting harder and harder to select.
Where I live in Burnie Tas, we don't have Aldi or Costco's but that's not a hassle for me because most of it's imported anyway. How can we support our local farmers & small businesses when we can't always buy there products. They end up sending them overseas for a better deal............especially our local fruit.

I find I am buying more fresh produce directly from the farmers or markets, that way I can support our local community.

beavis
  • 23rd Mar 2017 11:56am

I don't mind having fewer choices but what I do mind is that all the old favourites are disappearing and being replaced by Supermarket brands. I don't like only having the choice of these brands ad the expense of the well known brands. When I have a large range of options to choose from I tend to read the labels and firstly find out where they are from (and choose Australian first) and then I look at the nutrition information and typically go for the healthier options.

Lukey23
  • 23rd Mar 2017 11:54am

I feel that they are now supporting the brands that do make the money for them and cutting out on the ones that are shelf warmers. i dont know if this is meant to be good for those that have produced those brands. It keeps competition out of the lime light. I dont think it affects customers a whole lot, you dont see many people who are loyal to a specific brand these days, these days people just want to get the cheapest and most economically use out of a product and save money.
For me its about the cost, if something is cheaper than what i used to purchase then i am going for it regardless.
I would prefer more brands just so i can get a variety but if that means they are more expensive. Then its an idea to scrap and just go for less brands and have a much cheaper sales point for them.

China1
  • 23rd Mar 2017 11:48am

Choice doesn't worry me, I just buy the cheapest.

Nerida
  • 23rd Mar 2017 11:47am

I find it extremely frustrating when brands disappear off the shelves. For health reasons I MUST go low fat, low sugar, low salt bla bla bla, and having to wade through labels to find what I need is time consuming. Often the items which are cut are the only ones I can eat. I don't do Aldi BECAUSE there is no choices for me. What do other people with health conditions do? We all have to eat.

Momma Bear
  • 23rd Mar 2017 11:43am

I usually do most of my shopping at Coles, but as both Woolies and Aldi's are walking distance from my place I will go there if I need a few things, but my big shop is at Coles. I didn't worry about cost when I was working, but since I have retired I need to look at specials and watch how much I am spending. I tend to buy home brands a lot as I don't see much difference buying name brands or the more expensive brands.

TinaBop
  • 23rd Mar 2017 11:27am

Me personally, I like to see a wide range of products, I don't think having too many brands does make it complicated to shop. For me I like a variety to choose from, because I don't always go by the brand but mostly by the price, so what may be on special one week may not be on special the next week and so I will usually choose the next brand that seems like value for money.

I think if we had less choice to choose from in the supermarkets it makes it difficult in the sense that not only are we limited by product choice and price but the opportunity to explore new brands as well. How does the supermarkets know what all consumers like, what maybe a terrific product for one may not be for the other. I know that when I shop I will go to a store that usually stocks the products/brands that I enjoy buying. If a shop was to stop stocking my that particular brand/product there is a high possibility that I may not continue to shop there unless I felt they could replace it with another brand that I thought would be equal value for money and quality. But as I said then if I feel like there isn't a product/brand on the shelf that could compare to the usual one that I like then I would most likely shop elsewhere.

For example, there is a family meal packet sold only in Woolworths stores, that is not in Coles, but is also found in IGA, when doing my weekly grocery shopping I will usually shop at one of the two stores for these particular products....if all supermarkets had a variety to choose from it would make the decision on where to shop much easier as you would know that no matter where you shopped you could still buy your favourite product/brand

clem_lun
  • 23rd Mar 2017 11:26am

I disagree that there are too many choices in the supermarket. I want more choices! More choices mean the products become more competitive in the marketplace, hence lowering prices. I would be sad if my usual brand was no longer there as a result of them cutting down choices. I would then go to another supermarket which gives me more choices. Having more brands is definitely a better experience for the shopper. I choose products in the way they market themselves through advertising, or recommendations from family or friends. Sometimes, if it's on special, I would try a new product that I normally wouldn't have. Then it's up to the product to sell itself to me, if I would buy it again.

Nomis333
  • 23rd Mar 2017 11:22am

Coles and woolies have a massive monopoly on not just suppliers but farmers growers etc .can we afford to let them limit our choices even further?
This would give them even more power which they abuse already.ie paying less on contracts and controlling prices of fruit vegies etc while the primary producers get even less year in and out. As the consumer the right of choice encourages more competition and growth,surely limiting the choices will only limit the competition and growth and of course increase the prices ie profits for the big 2

KennethS
  • 24th Mar 2017 01:35pm
Well - actually, WW bought DS for $25M in 1986 and sold it for $115M in 2012. The collapse occurred after Anchorage Capital floated it for $520M in Dec, 2013. It was owned by WW for so long, it...

Masters failed (didn't stock what was in-demand).
Only part of the story, Bunnings put pressure on several major distributors, a simple choice, them or us - That is why Masters didn't stock Makita, I believe this illegal but it still happened.

mysteron347
  • 24th Mar 2017 01:13pm
The unholy duopoly of Coles and Woolworths have exploited Australian shoppers for two long, I doubt that most people realise how these two powerful groups control the majority of the Australian...

Well - actually, WW bought DS for $25M in 1986 and sold it for $115M in 2012. The collapse occurred after Anchorage Capital floated it for $520M in Dec, 2013. It was owned by WW for so long, it became associated with them in the public mind.

As for Masters - well from memory, the loss was about $600M, not billions. Still a lot more than I could fund out of my pocket. I offered Masters my services, having developed many of Bunnings' IT systems but was ignored. Seems vary strange that almost everyone in the country can tell you why Masters failed (didn't stock what was in-demand) but those in control couldn't. Seems to me that this tribe of theoreticians will simply move on to the next company to ruin at someone else's expense, oblivious to their own ineptitude.

But those two corporate octopuses certainly don't get my custom with their arrogant bully-boy attitude. I'll travel a long way to Makit or Mitre-10 rather than any of the close-by Bunnings, and grocery is now all IGA - despite higher prices over-the-counter. OK, Aldi, too now...

Dei
  • 23rd Mar 2017 03:34pm
I refuse to shop at IGA after their lead in the fraudulent campaign years ago to block extended trading hours, solely to allow them to continue charging higher prices for the same products. Also,...

Sorry Wally don't know anything about this issue but I do shop locally for fruit & veg & meat - better quality that way.

KennethS
  • 23rd Mar 2017 03:10pm
Coles and woolies have a massive monopoly on not just suppliers but farmers growers etc .can we afford to let them limit our choices even further?
This would give them even more power which...

The unholy duopoly of Coles and Woolworths have exploited Australian shoppers for two long, I doubt that most people realise how these two powerful groups control the majority of the Australian retail market. It is all about market dominance and stifling competition
Just don't think Supermarkets, think petrol, think liquor, think hotel groups, think pokies, think Big W, KMart, Target Bunnings, these two groups control close to 70% of Australian retailing, basically it is Wesfarmers Group and the Woolworths Group.
Woolworths have suffered some spectacular reverses with Masters losing them billions, the Dick Smith debacle, and have not achieved the profit objectives of their board, and a few heads have rolled.

Wally the Clown
  • 23rd Mar 2017 02:51pm
This monopoly is exactly why I shop at IGA, my local butchers & local green grocers or farmer's stalls.

I refuse to shop at IGA after their lead in the fraudulent campaign years ago to block extended trading hours, solely to allow them to continue charging higher prices for the same products. Also, Coles signed me up for FlyBuys without my application or permission, so I am dirty with them- as well as their across-the-board higher prices than Woolies. As Both Woolies and Coles cost about twice as much for vegetables (I don't eat fruit) as my local greengrocer, I shop locally.

8181
  • 23rd Mar 2017 02:15pm
Coles and woolies have a massive monopoly on not just suppliers but farmers growers etc .can we afford to let them limit our choices even further?
This would give them even more power which...

Spot on.

Dei
  • 23rd Mar 2017 01:05pm
Coles and woolies have a massive monopoly on not just suppliers but farmers growers etc .can we afford to let them limit our choices even further?
This would give them even more power which...

This monopoly is exactly why I shop at IGA, my local butchers & local green grocers or farmer's stalls.

Raksha
  • 23rd Mar 2017 11:21am

Over the years I have found the brands that I like to buy. But since shopping at Aldi I have changed many of my choices to Aldi brands. I don't see how having a choice of brands could be an issue for the consumer. It would however, be an issue for the shop owner as stocking brands that are not popular could be costly.

AEC
  • 23rd Mar 2017 11:18am

Decisions would be easier if clearly "Australian Made" brand was shown more positively! There is insufficient detail to convey if price is competitive and is often regarded just as a sale pitch. Some simple digital calculator on trolley would help to check spend and if to budget. Check out staff are excellent but queues are often long.

Flymow
  • 23rd Mar 2017 11:18am

I don't care how much is available as long as they don't do away with tried and trusted brands. I am a savvy shopper as I have to be so am always on the look out for specials and good value. So having a large variety enables more comparison and choice.

GretaZ
  • 25th Mar 2017 03:21pm
I don't care how much is available as long as they don't do away with tried and trusted brands. I am a savvy shopper as I have to be so am always on the look out for specials and good value. So...

Yep, I feel the same! I guess we have all tightened our budgets these days and good value and quality don't have to mean high prices. I shop around by looking at catalogues on the net. It saves me a lot of money and time at the end of the week!

Rihanna
  • 23rd Mar 2017 11:12am

I personally think that too much choices can be very stressful. I'm a quick shopper and usually do not take too long in the supermarket to do my groceries and I also buy the same brands most of the time. So reducing the choices will make things easier. If my usual brands is not available I either go find it somewhere else, but also I don't mind trying new products. When there is a wide range of the same type of product, it all just become confusing and I just take what I am familiar with.

wendel
  • 23rd Mar 2017 11:12am

I agree, sometimes you get bamboozled by so many different choices, I do mainly shop at Aldi, I know what they sell and their quality and good pricing, without having to read heaps of different price labels. Although they don't sell everything for the pantry, their basic items makes it a quick shop, I just top up with mainly Woolies home brands where possible that I can't get at Aldi.

Leonardus
  • 23rd Mar 2017 11:12am

I like having a lot of choice. If my brand was not available I would try another brand, maybe one I have not tried before. There are enough brands. I usually choose something I like the most or on special.

tjc123
  • 23rd Mar 2017 11:10am

This is really interesting as I am an employee at Aldi. You may think that would make me bias but it doesn't, as I still prefer to shop at Woolies or Coles based on the fact that they have more variety. My customers often complain about the fact that Aldi lacks variety, however, they continue to shop here based on the prices. I think, if Woolies and Coles are still going to keep their prices the same, there isn't much of a point in getting rid of lines. Less choice in the supermarket wouldn't be a huge issue considering the way i shop is by buying the products that are on special in that line, I don't really buy based on brand. The more brands you place in a store, the harder its gonna be on everyone. The customers, when deciding what to buy and where to find something, and the company when ordering. Aldi is growing and growing, thus, people are focusing more on cheaper items rather than variety. Though, complaints are common when Aldi doesn't have a particular item someone is after, thus they take their money elsewhere.

Natasa
  • 23rd Mar 2017 11:07am

I find that the selection of products in Australia isn't too bad... it can be hard to decide with things such as condiments & spreads a jams. Although if I find my regular brand has gone missing... I'll be annoyed but then proceed to look for an alternative. I normally stick with a regular product unless there's something else heavily discounted that I wouldn't mind trying.

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